What Happens If Not All of the Inventors Agree on the Assignment?

A joint-inventor (that is, one inventor of a group of inventors of a patent) who does not assign his patent rights remains in full possession of those rights. A person or entity that does not receive rights to the patent from every inventor is considered as a partial assignee. The partial assignee must share his/her patent rights with the joint-inventors who chose not to assign their rights.

The partial assignee and the non-assigning joint-inventors must account to each other for and share all the profits they have earned from their patent rights. Each part is advised to consult a Patent Attorney to discuss his/her rights in this scenario. It is recommended the partial assignee and the non-assigning joint inventors have different Patent Attorney representation, as the scenario may present conflicts of interest.

If you are interested in more detail related to your situation it is best to speak with an attorney. Discuss Your Patent Needs with a Professional.

About
Latest Posts

Yuri L. Eliezer

Intellectual Property Attorney and Managing Partner at Founders Legal

Yuri heads the Intellectual Property practice group at Founders Legal in Atlanta, Georgia.A practice he co-founded at the Atlanta Tech Village – the nation’s fourth largest incubator.He specializes in preparing, developing, and executing strategies for securing patents nationally and internationally. He focuses his work on developing IP portfolio of high value, and helps clients to licensing and acquisition deals to monetize on their IP rights.He has secured patents, negotiated and executed domestic and international IP deals in the Software, Internet/Telecom, Computer, Electrical, and Medical Device fields. His team also prosecutes patents in the Mechanical, Aerospace, Biotech, and Pharmaceutical industries.

His degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering has helped him serve technology companies of all sizes including Microsoft, Cisco, Cox, AT&T, General Electric, Georgia Institute of Technology, and Coca Cola.

Eliezer’s technological knowledge, entrepreneurial expertise, and nuanced perspective on technological innovation, has attracted national media coverage, of the likes of NPR, CNN, and The International Business Times. Eliezer also applies his wide-ranging experiences as an Advisor to the Atlanta Tech Village, where he provides guidance to a community of 120 startup companies.

Latest posts by Yuri L. Eliezer (see all)