Patentees

Patentees are individuals or organizations that hold a patent or the rights to a patented invention. The term usually refers to the legal owner of the patent, which may be the inventor or an assignee such as an employer, university, or company. A patentee has exclusive statutory rights granted by the patent office to make, use, sell, or import the patented invention within a given jurisdiction for a limited period, typically 20 years from the filing date, subject to the payment of maintenance fees in some jurisdictions.

Patentees may license or commercialize their rights, assign them to another party, or collateralize them. They may also enforce the patent against infringers through civil actions, seeking injunctions and damages. The scope of protection is defined by the patent claims and is limited to the jurisdiction where the patent is granted.

The relationship between inventor and patentee varies: the inventor is the individual who conceived the invention, but ownership of the patent rights may be assigned to an employer or other entity under contract, or may be retained by the inventor if no assignment took place.

To obtain patentees’ status, an application must be filed with the relevant patent office and meet patentability standards such as novelty, inventive step, and industrial applicability. The process typically includes examination, possible amendments, and publication, followed by grant and periodic maintenance. International and regional protection may be pursued through mechanisms such as the Patent Cooperation Treaty or regional patent systems.