Can a juristic entity be an applicant for a patent application?

Can a juristic entity be an applicant for a patent application?

No, a juristic entity cannot be an applicant for a patent application filed on or after September 16, 2012. The MPEP 605 clearly states: ‘A juristic entity (e.g., organizational assignee) cannot be named as the applicant for a patent application.’ This means that only natural persons, specifically the inventor(s), can be named as applicants. However, a juristic entity can be named as the assignee or applicant for other purposes, such as in an application for a reissue patent to replace an original patent granted on an application filed before September 16, 2012.

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Topics: Patent Law, Patent Procedure
Tags: juristic entity, organizational assignee, patent applicant, Reissue Patent