Are patent applicants and patentees the same thing?

Patent applicants and patentees are not the same thing. Patent applicant refers to a natural person, legal person or other organization that has the right to apply for a patent for invention and creation according to the law or the contract; In other words, the patentee is a natural person, legal person or other organization qualified to file a patent application for invention-creation. The patentee is the subject of the patent right. The patentee is not necessarily the patent applicant, because the patent right can be transferred.