> My impression is that the "inventor(s)" have to be the people who actually came up with the idea. (Inactive) patent attorney here. Your impression is correc

> My impression is that the "inventor(s)" have to be the people who actually came up with the idea. (Inactive) patent attorney here. Your impression is correct (for the U.S.; I can't speak to other places): ALL "co-inventors" MUST be listed as inventors, and ONLY they may be listed. A "co-inventor" is someone who contributes to the "conception," i.e., the complete mental picture, of the subject matter of at least one claim in the patent application. [0] [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inventor_(patent) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inventor_(patent)