A fight over the patent rights to Calgary's ParkPlus system appears to be behind the firing of two top parking managers on Thursday.
When the system was introduced in the fall of 2007, there were predictions that the city could make millions of dollars marketing the homegrown technology worldwide.
Now it's unclear whether the city actually owns the technology.
CTV News has learned that the Calgary Parking Authority General Manager, Dale Fraser and Assistant General Manager, Al Bazar are listed as the inventors of the ParkPlus system on patent documents in at least 6 countries.
‘There's going to be an issue, in fact there already is as to whether Mr. Fraser and Mr. Bazar have a claim on the U.S. side of the patent business or not at all," said Ward 1 Councillor, Dale Hodges.
Staff at the parking authority and the city say that no one or two people can lay claim to the invention of the ParkPlus system.
They say the system was created with input from at least a dozen people.
The mayor is backing away from the issue for now and says it's in the hands of lawyers and others.
"The board and the management of the parking authority are aware of the situation you are talking about and that's certainly some of the things they are working on," said Mayor Nenshi.
It is not known what may be contained in severance packages for Fraser and Bazar.
Negotiations could take weeks, but all agree the ParkPlus patent issue will be part of those talks.
