#patents

[kropotkindersurprise]

Did you know Nestlé tried to patent Rooibos, South Africa's popular and well-known herb, used for tea and medicinal purposes? [video]

[good-fwiend-in-wome]

Happy World Intellectual Property Day!

Did you know...

Intellectual property and its consequences have been a disaster for the human race

Copyright exists to protect the profit of the huge corporations with the money to hire lawyers to sue people out of being creative without their permission

Most if not all of the fanfiction, videogame mods, and other derivative creative works you love so much are almost definitely copyright infringement and the only reason they don't (always) get smote from orbit is because no one has gotten a large enough stick up their ass to make the PR backlash worth setting that legal precedent

Artists can, in fact, still make a living from their art without needing a state-enforced monopoly over their work

Patents are one of the most evil concepts anyone has ever thought up. They have set human technological progress back by probably centuries, and are a big part of the reason things like life-saving medications can be so astronomically expensive or new revolutionary technologies can stagnate for decades in the pit of rent-seeking

People will still invent things and create art without intellectual property because the desire to create is a fundamental and universal part of the human experience

Subscribe for more fun intellectual property facts!

[todaysdocument]

Board Game Apparatus [Monopoly], Charles B. Darrow

Record Group 241: Records of the Patent and Trademark OfficeSeries: Selected Patent Files

Patent drawing for the game Monopoly, showing a square game board, six tokens (thimble,, cannon, iron, top hat, shoe, and gunboat), houses and hotels, and two dice.

[unbfacts]

In 1958, German inventor Artur Fischer revolutionized construction by inventing the plastic wall plug, enabling screws to grip securely in concrete, brick, and drywall. This simple device transformed both DIY and professional building. Fischer went on to earn over 1,100 patents, making him one of the most prolific inventors of the 20th century.

[usnatarchives]

Soaring into history 🛩️Wilbur and Orville Wright

Soaring into history on December 17, 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright achieved the first successful flight of a heavier-than-air aircraft near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Their revolutionary Wright Flyer soared for just 12 seconds on its maiden voyage.

The Wright brothers' invention was officially recognized when they were granted U.S. Patent No. 821,393 on May 22, 1906, for their "Flying Machine."

This patent, preserved in the records of the National Archives, laid the foundation for their innovative three-axis control system, which allowed a pilot to steer the aircraft effectively. This key innovation remains a fundamental principle in aviation to this day.

The online portal to the records held at the National Archives, and information about those records.

[ptseti]

Black investor Julian Brown Explains Why Patenting Your Invention Is The Dumbest Move You Can Make😳💡🗣️📜

[shiftythrifting]

Worcester Savers

[detroitlib]

On this day in history, August 21, 1888 – The first successful adding machine in the United States is patented by William Seward Burroughs. (Fun fact - he was the writer William S. Burroughs' grandfather)

View of adding machine manufactured by the Burroughs Adding Machine Company. Handwritten on back: "Office equipment, 1911. Burroughs Adding Machine Co."

National Automotive History Collection, Detroit Public Library