Inter-organization, within which innovation is being developed today, leads to a new way of thinking about patents. This paper follows an analytical approach. It provides an explanation concerning the strategic role of inter-organizations in the field of creating and managing innovation, whether or not protected by patents. Following a literature review, the strategic role of patents is discussed, following which a classification of the forms of appropriability within the inter-organization is offered. JEL codes: D21, D62, L14, L24, M00, M21