主题：方舟子的轰然倒下 -- 鳕鱼邪恶

In the United States, however, only the inventor(s) may apply for a patent although it may be assigned to a corporate entity subsequently[15] and inventors may be required to assign inventions to their employers under a contract of employment.

The inventors, their successors or their assignees become the proprietors of the patent when and if it is granted. If a patent is granted to more than one proprietor, the laws of the country in question and any agreement between the proprietors may affect the extent to which each proprietor can exploit the patent.