Myth: Inventorship

Inventorship is vitally important to a patent, but people often abuse it.

I have heard of companies putting someone’s name on a patent application because they paid for it – or including your boss’s name on a patent even when they did not contribute.

Improper inventorship is one of the easiest ways to kill a patent.  If someone finds out that the listing is improper – either by not including someone or by including someone who was not an actual inventor – the patent can be killed off immediately.

Be respectful of the legal requirements of inventorship and adhere to them.