Multiple Inventors

Posted Thursday, June 25, 2009 by Jim Ruttler.

Whenever there are multiple inventors on a patent application, it is advisable to have those inventors assign their interests in the patent application to a company with an operating agreement indicating asset ownership rights. This practice can prevent one inventor from selling or licensing the patent application or patent without permission from the other inventors.

It is also a good idea to secure agreements beforehand with all employees, contractors, and partners to assign inventorship rights in any later developed invention. This can address the situation where an employee or partner has the potential to invent subject matter and later refuse to transfer ownership rights in that subject matter.

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