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Who is an inventor?

Unlike determination of authorship, which is collegial, inventorship is guided by a legal definition.  The first individual or group to make an invention that is novel, useful and non-obvious is termed an inventor.  Under US patent law only inventors are permitted to receive a patent on an invention.  An inventor is one who conceived the invention.  An inventor is not someone who reduces the invention to practice, unless conception also occurs during the reduction.