Inventorship and ownership are different concepts. The actual inventors must be correctly identified in the patent application. Ownership, however, may be transferred by a written assignment—for example, from an inventor to an employer, startup, or other company.

The ownership analysis can depend on employment agreements, assignment documents, company formation records, and other facts. The applicant named in a patent application may be the inventor, an assignee, a person to whom the inventor is obligated to assign, or another party permitted by law. Mattis IP handles patent preparation and prosecution before the USPTO but does not provide general contract or ownership-dispute advice. Separate legal counsel may be appropriate when ownership is unclear or contested.