Entitlement to file European patent applications

38 A European patent application may be filed by any natural or legal person, or any body equivalent to a legal person, irrespective of nationality and place of residence or business.

Art. 58, 59, 118 Guid. A-II, 2

A European patent application may also be filed by joint applicants or by two or more applicants designating different contracting states; where there are different applicants for different contracting states, they are regarded as joint applicants for the purposes of proceedings before the EPO (see also point 64).