Mr. Jones Will Stick Around

Article I, Section 8:

The Congress shall have Power...To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;

Thus, on April 10, 1790, our first patent law was passed:

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That upon the petition of any person or persons...setting forth, that he, she, or they, hath or have invented or discovered any useful art, manufacture, engine, machine, or device, or any improvement therein not before known or used, and praying that a patent may be granted therefor...thereupon granting to such petitioner or petitioners, his, her or their heirs, administrators or assigns for any term not exceeding fourteen years, the sole and exclusive right and liberty of making, constructing, using and vending to others to be used, the said invention or discovery.

Since I barely have the time or energy to do much blogging besides noting anniversaries, here are a few posts on patents from one of my myriad blog's archives:

• Patent Literacy
• Can I Patent Common Sense?
• Patent Nazis

Oh yeah, and my dad shares a patent...

ntodd