7 CFR §1.27(a)(1) defines a person as “any inventor or other individual [e.g., an individual to whom an inventor has transferred invention rights] who has not assigned, granted, conveyed, or licensed, any rights in the invention, [nor who is under a legal or contractual obligation to do same]”. An inventor or other individual who has transferred rights, or is under an obligation to transfer some rights in the invention to one or more parties, can also qualify for small entity status if all the parties, who have had rights in the invention transferred to them, also qualify for small entity status either as a person, small business concern, or nonprofit organization.”
