Who Can File an Application for a Patent or a Utility Model?

An application for a patent or a utility model may be filed by:

• the inventor – a person who created an invention;
• several inventors – in case of an invention created jointly;
• a legal successor of the inventor – based on the law, legal transaction or inheritance.

Based on the law or employment contract, the employer is the most common legal successor of the inventor and as such has the right to the invention.

The applicant may apply to convert the patent application into a utility model application and vice versa.