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I would definitely run it by a lawyer before you sign anything.
It's unlikely they're being nefarious, but realize that you'd be doing them a favor. It's up to you to decide if that's something you'd want to do.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I guess my angle isn't: What is there to gain for me. Even though I was made redundant, the employer is nice and I'd have no problems signing it. But it's the first time I'm asked to sign one of these things and some of the things I'd be agreeing to doesn't even sound like it's in english. I don't want to inadvertently sign over any side project I was working on in that time or IP for the industry I was working in or…
I would refuse to sign without hiring an attorney to review it. That will cost you something but at least you will know what you are signing.
IANAL, but I suspect a key detail here is that you are hiring the lawyer, no your former employer, because that's crucial to having the attorney bound to represent your interests.
But again, IANAL, so I could be totally wrong.
If you're no longer employeed by the selling company, it would seem that you have nothing to gain by signing.
I guess my angle isn't: What is there to gain for me. Even though I was made redundant, the employer is nice and I'd have no problems signing it. But it's the first time I'm asked to sign one of these things and some of the things I'd be agreeing to doesn't even sound like it's in english. I don't want to inadvertently sign over any side project I was working on in that time or IP for the industry I was working in or…
The usual way to deal with side projects is to specifically list the things you own and want to protect that should not be included. This is often a very small set of identifiable things. If you're worried this might be an overly broad set, then you can go the other way and try and list all the work you did while there. They will then need someone to review it to make sure that's everything they need, and then the buyer will need to review it to make sure that's everything they want. If this is an asset transfer, they will also need to make another list which is the things they are specifically not buying. So you make things more complicated doing it that way, but it's certainly your right to do that since they don't have an agreement with you already. Their fault for not giving you something when you started.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I guess my angle isn't: What is there to gain for me. Even though I was made redundant, the employer is nice and I'd have no problems signing it. But it's the first time I'm asked to sign one of these things and some of the things I'd be agreeing to doesn't even sound like it's in english. I don't want to inadvertently sign over any side project I was working on in that time or IP for the industry I was working in or…
This is all risk for you... why would you take on that risk with no compensation for an employer that fired you?
Were I in your shoes I'd ask for an amount of consideration with what you believe is commensurate with a "reasonable" value. If this is a small sale, something like $10,000. If it's a large sale, $100-200,000.
The point being that if they want you to sign away your ownership rights (real or imagined) they have to give you something in return or it's not a legal contract.
Contracts absolutely require that both parties get something of value out of the exchange.
[1] http://study.com/academy/lesson/rules-of-consideration-in-co...
That is what is think of as an "open ended" indemnification which is to say, you sign this over, then later someone sues them for patent infringement. Even though you had no idea somebody had patented the idea, you might be on the hook to pay the legal costs or licensing fees to make the buyer whole again.
So make sure the document doesn't say indemnify anywhere :-) And as others have said consider having a lawyer look at it.
If you're no longer employeed by the selling company, it would seem that you have nothing to gain by signing.
I guess my angle isn't: What is there to gain for me. Even though I was made redundant, the employer is nice and I'd have no problems signing it. But it's the first time I'm asked to sign one of these things and some of the things I'd be agreeing to doesn't even sound like it's in english. I don't want to inadvertently sign over any side project I was working on in that time or IP for the industry I was working in or…
The problem is that you're dealing with lawyers, and they want only one thing. They don't really care about you once they have what they want.
The other problem for them is that your legal relationship ended when your employment ended. So they don't have any power, other than what you choose to give to them.
I'm guessing they lost the original contracts and need the Deed to be on solid legal ground.
So I'd make them squirm a bit.