A patent can only be obtained by the owner of the invention. The employer of the inventor, where the invention was created in the ordinary course of employment.
Companies can own inventions because they are recognised as independent legal entities.
Therefore, a person wishing to use the invention which has been patented must obtain the permission from someone in the company who has been authorised to give such permission. Having a patent means that you have a legal right to use the patent to the exclusion of all others. Anyone who wishes to use your patent must obtain your permission, which usually means that they will remunerate you in exchange for the right to use your invention. A court may order a patentee to give permission to someone who wishes to use the invention when it can be proved that patentee has not put the invention to use and that it is in the public interest that someone do so. The court will only do this when the patentee cannot provide a reasonable explanation as to why he or she has not put the invention to use.