a government-granted monopoly you get for explaining your trick instead of hiding it.
means a legal right that lets an inventor stop others from making, using, or selling their invention for a limited time, in exchange for publishing exactly how it works.
from from the latin patere, to lie open — early english patent letters were literally unsealed royal documents, meant to be read by anyone, granting exclusive rights out in the open rather than in secret.
edison lightbulb — us patent 223,898 filed 1880, sparked decades of litigation
apple vs samsung — 2012 verdict awarded apple over 1 billion dollars
gene patents myriad — 2013 supreme court ruled human genes cant be patented
watt steam engine — 1769 patent arguably delayed the industrial revolution by blocking rivals