The word 'inventor' in s 15(1) of the Patents Act 1990 (Cth) bears its ordinary English meaning and does not include a person who merely imports an invention into Australia or to whom the invention is communicated; mere importation or communication does not give rise to title derived from the inventor. A licence agreement granting limited rights to use know-how for a fixed term, even when supplemented by an assignment of production methods and designs for patent purposes, does not constitute an effective assignment of the invention itself. The onus in revocation proceedings on the ground of want of entitlement rests on the party seeking revocation, not on the patentee to prove its entitlement. A notional skilled person in campervan design in Australia cannot reasonably be expected to have conducted patent searches in New Zealand or to have ascertained information from overseas brochures and trade publications not shown to be available at trade shows ordinarily attended by such persons.
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