A Roman judge in Alexandria, Vitruvius, tried and found multiple poets guilty of stealing poems. The theft was revealed during a literary contest. Similar cases in first century Rome include literacy piracy. Despite the importance of these events, there is no known law from ancient Rome regarding intellectual property theft.

Earliest Patent Systems

The first real patent system wouldn’t be enacted until centuries later. The Venetian Act of 1474 streamlined the patenting process and made them easier to apply for. Until then, Europe had the concept of patents, but there were no set standards. They were issued on an individual basis upon request. The Act meant the patent had to be for something one-of-a-kind and useful. This remains the standard for patent applications around the world to this day, including in the United States.

That’s not to say that there weren’t any forms of intellectual property protection throughout Medieval times, but they were less structured than formal patents. In larger cities, guilds would be formed to protect the knowledge of certain crafts. As only guild members could learn the craft, such as glassmaking, this raised the commercial value of the products in the region. Venetian glassmakers were highly regulated, with everything from working days to ingredients monitored closely. It nearly created a monopoly in the glass industry. While featuring the same protective features of patents, these were all self-contained and had no influence from the government.

Queen Elizabeth I and Patents

Queen Elizabeth made many changes to how patents worked in England during her reign. Early on, she sent letters encouraging other countries to bring their manufacturing technology and new products to England. At first, it worked, bringing in foreigners and helping her country grow in multiple industries. As years passed, however, she used her same policies to issue patents on everything, including long-established trade and techniques. This resulted in Parliament attempting to legislate against monopolies- something Elizabeth was able to pacify them from doing.

King James Changes the Rules

With a change in ruler came a change in the power of patents. In 1624, King James I made a royal proclamation that abolished the Brehon Laws and introduced English common law instead. Once incorporated into the Statute of Monopolies 1623, it limited the power a monarch would have regarding patents. Under the new law, patents could only be given to inventors of an original creation during a certain window of time. While it caused some upset and didn’t fully end patent abuse, it is still notable for creating a fairer system.

US Patents

The history of the United States and patent law is as equally turbulen as Europe’s. The first US Patent Act only lasted three years, from 1790 to 1793. It was then quickly replaced with a new Patent Act which functioned on an examination system. This further prevented abuse by having the product examined before the patent was issued. While the modern American patent system doesn’t quite resemble that from 1790, the standard for applying for a patent is more or less the same.

A third Patent Act was passed in 1836, to combat problems created by the previous two. It marked the creation of the Patent Office. The Secretary of State was no longer responsible for issuing patents, although the task still fell within the jurisdiction of the Department of the State. The new act also required that patent information be accessible in public libraries, thus preventing repeat patents. The addition of a seven-year extension to the existing fourteen-year patent was introduced as well. Additionally, immigrants could now apply for patents in the United States. It also raised the standards for American patents.

Patent Law Criticism

Every change has its critics- especially in England, where free trade economics reigned supreme. Patent law began to be criticized in the 1850s, believing it hindered research and served little good to the general public. Adrian Johns, a modern patent historian, summarizes the main complaints from the public in his book Piracy:

“[Patents] projected an artificial idol of the single inventor, radically denigrated the role of the intellectual commons, and blocked a path to this commons for other citizens — citizens who were all, on this account, potential inventors too. […] Patentees were the equivalent of squatters on public land — or better, of uncouth market traders who planted their barrows in the middle of the highway and barred the way of the people.”

The Depression of 1890 did not help matters in America. In an already strained economy, patents seemed to be promoting monopolies. Courts attempted to invalidate patents and the government had to intervene. President Benjamin Harrison introduced the Sherman Antitrust Act, which prohibited agreements and conduct that would attempt to monopolize a market. It should be noted, however, that this was to combat artificial monopoly through restricting trade and inflating prices. “Innocent monopoly,” or a monopoly achieved on pure merit, remained legal under the new system.

Patents in the 20th Century

Before we return to worldwide patent law, a quick recap of the last century or so of American laws will bring us up to date. In 1952, a new Patent Act was issued. The amendment required the inventor to not only describe their creation but also how it could be infringed upon. It also dictated all patents should be for “non-obvious” inventions- i.e., not for the steering wheel of a car or a spring in a Slinky. As the atmosphere grew more pro-patent, Congress created the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to hear all appeals regarding patents beginning in 1982. 2011 saw the switch from “first to invent” to “first inventor to file” after the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act.

1980 saw the change to patents on a global scale, all thanks to one case. A microbiologist for General Electric, Anand Chakrabarty, filed an application to patent a bacterium he genetically engineered to break down crude oil. At the time, no one had attempted to patent a living organism. The patent was rejected, but the United States Court of Customs and Patent Appeals overturned the USPTS decision and held that the patent should be issued. The case was taken to the Supreme Court, and Chief Justice Warren Burger wrote the majority opinion that the bacteria could be patented. Craig Nard, director of the Intellectual Property Center at Ohio’s Case Western Reserve University, cites this as jumpstarting the biotech industry.

Backtracking a bit, many countries, particularly those in the British Empire like India and New Zealand, followed British patent laws until the 1850s. TUnder British rule, citizens from these nations were at a disadvantage when it came to patents. Once the countries gained their freedom, however, they swiftly abolished the old English laws and established their own systems. Many of them still closely resemble European systems and have their own share of reforms and addendums. Still, it gave them a chance to share their inventions globally without fear of theft. New Zealand was actually among the top 5 patent offices in 2006.

Present Day Patent Laws

Finally, we reach the present day. While America is still among the world’s largest patent offices, it was rapidly outpaced by China. Of the approximate 1.98 million patent applications filed in 2012, 526,412 were filed in China. The United States was in a close second with 503,582 patents filed. Thomson Reuters researchers predicted China would outpace the USA in 2005, and the prediction was brought to life. (For the record, the other three offices belong in Europe as a whole, Japan, and South Korea.)

Patents play a large part in encouraging creativity and innovation in the world. Because each patent must be unique and “non-obvious,” it encourages inventors to think outside usual limits and create something truly original. But constant change through new laws and amendments impact both inventors and consumers and require adjustment in the approach to patenting.  Patents remain a complicated piece of the already massive jigsaw puzzle that is the world of inventing and innovation.

(SIDEBAR ON CAVEATS: Patent caveats were briefly available in the United States. Like traditional patents, it described an illustration or invention but did not have the full examination into the patentable subject manner and patent claims. It was merely a notice on the intention of filing for a proper patent, expiring after one year. Provisional applications today are somewhat similar but have significant differences. Caveats could be issued between 1836 and 1909, before being abolished by the US government.)

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NOTE: While this is a general guide to follow, there are quirks and minor details not covered below. It’s also important to know what the umbrella term of “intellectual property” means, as it can refer to copyrights, trademarks, and patents, or any combination of the three. According to the World Intellectual Property Organization, “intellectual property” is defined as “creations of the mind: inventions; literary and artistic works; and symbols, names, and images used in commerce.”

TRADEMARK

A trademark protects a symbol, word, slogan, design, name, and/or image that identifies the source of goods or services. For example, the smiling face logo of Wal-Mart is trademarked, as is the slogan “Save Money, Live Better.” Owning the trademark is basically a notice of ownership that the public can see. Registered trademarks are the ones that can use the ® symbol to defend their work.

If you own a trademark and see somebody using it without permission, you can sue for infringement. However, this only applies to the country you’ve registered the trademark in- if it hasn’t been registered there, your legal rights are much less powerful. A trademark is valid for an unlimited amount of time, as long as it is used in commerce, but must be renewed every 10 years or it lapses.

Of additional note is the term “service mark.” This is for the slogans, symbols, logos, and words associated with a service, not a place to purchase goods. Ronald McDonald and other icons associated with McDonald’s are protected under service mark.

PATENTS

Patents are for inventors and designers. Machines, chemical combinations, specific processes, or even the design of a product can be patented. Unlike trademarks and copyrights, it cannot be renewed. When the twenty-year patent term expires, the item in question becomes part of the public domain. However, during that time, the owner has the right to exclude others from making, using or selling the invention.

While many items that are patented remain under the protection of their creator, others may choose to sell them to companies and enjoy royalties from the sales. The company takes over the ownership of the item and most of the sales, while the inventor gets a base sum after selling the item and small payments with each purchase of the product.

Patents and trademarks are both served out of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, at least in America. There are also three types of patents you can apply for: a design patent, a plant patent, and a utility patent. Each variety has its own paperwork and system to filing.

COPYRIGHTS

This applies to the work of many creative types.  Copyrights are automatically granted upon creation of an original work. Artists, choreographers, musicians, authors, architects, and other creative professionals also can register a copyright for their work. However, the work must be in a tangible state; it’s impossible to copyright just an idea. Some copyrights are part of a larger trademark. For example, the video game Overwatch and its logo are trademarked to Blizzard, but the mascot character of Tracer is copywritten.

Also, much like a trademark, a copyright is a public notice of ownership. It’s legal evidence that can be used to sue those who infringe upon your work, so long as the paperwork is in order. A copyright never has to be renewed and is valid for life various terms, depending on whether or not the work is for hire. If not for hire, the current copyright duration is for the life of the creator, plus 70 years.

Within the United States, the Copyright Office is part of the Library of Congress. Most copyrighted works are subject to the Fair Use doctrine, or how said products can be used without permission in the public domain. Parodying a song or showcasing footage of a video game in a review is allowed under Fair Use. Uploading an entire movie to YouTube for others to watch for free, on the other hand, is not. This has been the source of some controversy lately as the definition of Fair Use evolves and shifts.

Again, this guide is by no means all-encompassing. There are many details that weren’t covered in the above descriptions and you should not consider this legal advice. Nevertheless, hopefully, you understand the basic differences between ©, ®, and now and what types of protection are available.

Now that you were able to learn about trademarks, copyright, and patents you hopefully have a better understanding of where to head next on your inventors’ journey.  Not sure about what steps to take next? Check out our inventor quiz to help you learn what kind of inventor you are!

The post Copyright, Patent, and Trademark: What’s the Difference? appeared first on Davison.

THE INTERNET

Granted, it’s somewhat difficult to patent a concept like the internet, but Sir Tim Berners-Lee made a conscious decision not to accept royalties. He believed the World Wide Web should be freely available to the masses, leading him to never seek a patent on the website he first launched in 1991. In fact, a major contributing factor to why he won the 2004 Millenium Technology Prize was because he recognized how much his creation would contribute to humanity. When accepting his award, he insists the internet never would have succeeded if he charged for his invention: “If I had tried to demand fees…there would be no World Wide Web. There would be lots of small webs.”

THE COMPUTER MOUSE

The computer mouse was patented, at least for a short while. Douglas Engelbart first invented the mouse in 1963, but the patent expired in 1987, just before it would explode in popularity in the mainstream. He never sought out royalties, however, and passed away in 2013. Still, his invention is one that we continue to use daily. Fun fact: the first mouse was carved out of wood and only had one button…because that’s all there was room for.

EMOTICONS

The very first smiley, as they were once called, was designed by American artist Harvey Ball. His task was to design an image to boost morale at an insurance company in 1963, but it quickly spread outside of the office. Ball declined to register a copyright and was paid only $45 for the original design. Of course, emoticons and smileys would eventually evolve into emojis, a movement in their own right. According to Wikipedia, Ball’s smiley has three unique features: “Narrow oval eyes (with the right slightly larger than the one on the left), a bright sunny yellow color, and a mouth that is not a perfect arc.” When Ball died in 2001, the land owned by his family was purchased by the city of Worcester, MA and the “Harvey Ball Conservation Area” was created with the aptly named “Smiley Face Trail.”

THE KARAOKE MACHINE

We have Daisuke Inoue to thank for the staple of Japanese bars and teenage sleepovers the world over. His invention, the karaoke machine, is one of the most accessible and recognizable pieces of technology available to people of all incomes. But he never patented it, leading him to never benefit from the sales globe-wide- or the slew of cheap imitators and knockoffs. The word karaoke, in case you were wondering, actually means “empty orchestra” and the most popular song requested by budding singers is “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson.

THE ASSAULT RIFLE

Whether you agree with the existence of AK-47s or not, you must acknowledge their importance in history. In 1947, Mikhail Kalashnikov invented the weapon and it went into production. The original manufacturer for the gun has the patent, however, not Kalashnikov. He claims he created it for the good of his country and wanted no profit off it. Kalashnikov, who died in 2013, was also a lifelong poet and author of six books.

TETRIS

Strictly speaking, Tetris was patented- but the rights were owned by the Soviet Union. Alexey Pajitnov didn’t see any royalties until 1996 when he and Henk Rogers formed The Tetris Company. The name Tetris is a combination of the German prefix tetra- (which means four) and Patijnov’s favorite sport, tennis. In 1993, Tetris became the first video game in space when a Russian cosmonaut brought his Gameboy and Tetris game on a mission to the space station Mir.

MATCHES

Much like with Berners-Lee, chemist John Walker wanted to ensure his idea was free to the masses. His invention? The matchstick–able to create and transport fire with ease, even without a candle or other source nearby. The exact date of creation has been lost, but we know it to be sometime in the 1820s. In the 1970s, Walker’s hometown of Stockton-on-Tees attempted to commemorate him with a statute. Twenty years later, it was realized that the statute actually matched the likeness of a different man whose name was also John Walker and who happened to look similar to the town hero. The mistake was realized after consulting with the National Portrait Gallery and the statue was removed.

MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES

In 1975, Cesar Milstein was given the chance to patent his medical breakthrough after being approached by Tony Vickers. Milstein agreed, but the National Research Development Corporation failed to file the patent due to being unable to “identify any immediate application.”  Today, six out of the ten best selling modern drugs are monoclonal antibodies. Milstein and his partner, Georges Kohler, won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1984 for their discovery.

MAGNETIC STRIP

We have Ron Klein to thank for the modern credit card. Before his creation, stores had to check numbers manually. Klein took the tape from reel-to-reels, created a scanner to read it, then affixed it to a plastic card. While he never patented the tech, his story was a successful one: his hundreds of other inventions have kept him rolling in royalties and is commonly known as “the grandfather of possibilities.”

FIDGET SPINNERS

Another case of “was patented, it lapsed, and then it exploded.” Catherine Hettinger first created the toy/fad but had to let her patent lapse when she couldn’t afford the $400 fee. Then, just last year, it became the hottest new meme and cheap rip-offs (and expensive luxury versions) were sold everywhere. A pity, because fidget spinners (when they’re of a decent quality) are fairly therapeutic. As a matter of fact, as smaller manufacturers began making fidget spinners, they were used as a tool for kids who struggle with behavioral issues such as ADHD, autism, and anxiety.

Should you seek out a patent for your idea? Maybe. But don’t be deterred if you can’t. After all, plenty of other ideas haven’t been, and they’ve survived just fine.

The post Inventions That Are (Surprisingly) Not Patented appeared first on Davison.

Before the Constitution, British colonial law and custom governed patents. Inventors could appeal to their local governments to secure commercial rights to their products. The earliest of these rights was in 1641, in Massachusetts, to Samuel Winslow for his salt-making method. By the end of the 18^th century, states began passing laws for general patents rather than relying on the case-by-case system. South Carolina holds the distinction for passing the first general patent act, “An Act for the Encouragement of Arts and Sciences.”

As for federal laws, the Constitution has a provision in 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.” This was followed by the Patent Act of 1790, which gave the right to issue patents to three figures. Only the Secretary of State, the Secretary of War, or the Attorney General could give their consent, and an applicant needed the approval of at least two before acceptance.

The Patent Act of 1790 was repealed or modified twice, once in 1793 and again in 1836. Both Acts made obtaining a patent much easier but at the cost of quality of the product being patented. It was the Act of 1836 that finally established the Patent Office and freed the Secretary of State from the overwhelming task of granting patents. Instead, a new role was created: the Commissioner of Patents.  The first commissioner was a man named Henry Leavitt Ellsworth. He was considered a forward-thinking man and early adapter to technology. Ellsworth granted patents for inventions such as Samuel Colt’s first revolver and Samuel Morse’s telegraph.

After 1836, only a few notable events occurred. A law was passed for patents to be submitted in double after a fire destroyed most of the patents, but this was dropped after the office started printing. In 1849, the Patent Office was shifted from the State Department to the Department of the Interior. It would remain there until 1925 when it was transferred to its current home of the Department of Commerce.

People began to view patents as monopolies sometime during the 1890 depression (and this viewpoint repeated itself during the Great Depression of the 1930s). To combat these fears, Senator John Sherman proposed the Sherman Antitrust Act. Designed to prevent the restriction of trade or supply that would result in monopolies, it was signed into law by President Benjamin Harrison on July 2^nd, 1890. It should be pointed out that “innocent monopolies”- i.e., ones that occurred solely through merit- were still perfectly legal.

Not much changed regarding patents until 1952, when the entire structure was overturned. The applicant now had to describe their invention and their basis for its potential infringement. Additionally, the invention had to be useful, new, and non-obvious.” It was enacted to ensure the knowledge of an area wouldn’t be limited to only a select few.

The public stance on patents became positive again through the 1980s and 1990s, helped in part by the new Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. This was to replace the out-dated Court of Customs and Patent Appeals. Most notably, it sought to give inventors more protections over their ideas.

The last major change was in 2011 after the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act was passed. It swapped the system from “first to invent has the rights to the patent” to “the first inventor to file has the rights.” Before its passing, the United States had been the final country to use a “first to invent” system. The AIA also added reforms to prevent interference proceedings. Currently, utlity patents last for 20 years, starting from the filing date.

With the number of new inventions and discoveries each year, it’s almost certain patent law will evolve again in the future. For now, though, the broad and storied history of the protection of ideas is secure and working hard to keep visionaries and their creations safe.

Where would we be if in 1641 Samuel Winslow didn’t appeal to the Massachusetts local government for rights to his salt-making production process?
How about the Act of 1836 that created the Patent Office, and gave the position of Commissioner of Patents to Henry Ellsworth, a forward-thinking man? As you can see from above, inventors have always had different ways of thinking. Do you know your inventor personality? You may be an everyday Edison or perhaps a dynamic or critical inventor. Take our quiz below to find out which one you are!

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Do you remember that old Verizon commercial where the spokesman would ask the question, “Can you hear me now? Good.” Well, that tagline wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t for Alexander Graham Bell’s invention of the telephone.

It was on this day in 1876 that Bell received a United States patent for his revolutionary new invention.

Every invention has a story and today we’re sharing Bell’s! Growing up, Bell worked with his father in London, where Bell’s father developed Visible Speech, a written system used to teach speaking to the deaf.

This was just the first glimpse of innovation that gleamed through in Bell’s life. During the 1870s, the Bells uprooted their family and moved to Boston, Massachusetts. It was here that Alexander became very interested in exploring the possibility of transmitting speech via wires. It was a curious innovation that left him hungry to find a viable solution – after all, in 1843, Samuel F.B Morse’s invention of the telegraph made communication almost instantaneous between two locations both far and wide.

The only hiccup of the telegraph was that it still required that hand-delivered messages be sent between telegraph stations and recipients; not to mention, only one message could be transmitted at a time.

It was this problem that Bell set out to fix and fix it is exactly what he did when he created the “harmonic telegraph.” This device combined features of a telegraph and record player to give people the ability to speak to one another from a distance.

Bell didn’t work alone as he employed the help of Thomas A. Watson, a Boston machine shop employee that helped him develop a working prototype.

The first iteration of their invention of the telephone worked a little something like this. Sound waves created an electric current that varied in both intensity and frequency, which caused a thin, soft iron plate (a diaphragm) to vibrate. These vibrations were then magnetically transferred to another wire that was connected to a diaphragm in another, distant instrument.

When the diaphragm vibrated, the original sound was replicated in the ear of the receiving instrument.

Believe it or not, Bell filed his patent a mere two hours prior to Elisha Gray, who had a similar claim. That was a close one! Just three days after filing, Bell’s invention carried its first clear message, “Mr. Watson, come here, I need you,” a message that was sent from Bell to his assistant.

The story doesn’t end there. In fact, that’s where it begins. Gray was then employed by the Western Union Telegraph Company and worked alongside fellow inventor, Thomas A. Edison to invent their own telephone technology.

Bell wasn’t too happy with this idea, so he sued and the case made its way to the United States Supreme Court, where Bell’s patent rights were upheld.

Copyright Davison, 2016

Sources:

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/alexander-graham-bell-patents-the-telephone

http://www.history.com/topics/inventions/alexander-graham-bell

Images:

https://pixabay.com/static/uploads/photo/2014/07/26/06/48/alexander-graham-bell-402095_640.jpg

http://media-2.web.britannica.com/eb-media/84/115184-004-9C9C534F.jpg

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As the celebration of Black History Month is coming to a close, we wanted to place the spotlight on three contemporary African American inventors whose inventions have left their mark on society.

While we already featured famous historic African American inventors in our first installment, today we’re focusing on Lonnie G. Johnson, Dr. Patricia Bath and “King of Pop” Michael Jackson.

Let’s get started.

Lonnie G. Johnson

Every kid can thank Lonnie G. Johnson for maximizing their fun during a summer water fight. This former Senior Systems Engineer at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, who worked on the Galileo Mission to Jupiter, might be best known for his popular invention, the Super Soaker squirt gun – the most coveted piece of water-fight equipment. In just two years after being invented, it’s reported that Johnson’s money-making machine soaked in more than $200 million in sales! But, besides his success on the market, Johnson also holds more than 80 patents with over 20 additional pending patents.

Dr. Patricia Bath

As an internationally-recognized ophthalmologist and surgeon, Dr. Patricia Bath can be credited for her invention of the laser-powered Laserphaco Probe. This invention has given physicians the ability to vaporize cataracts in the matter of minutes. Additionally, Dr. Bath has committed her life’s work to find solutions to the ongoing problem of blindness in African Americans. Thanks to Dr. Bath’s invention, people can see clearly now!

Michael Jackson

Speaking of clearly seeing the man in mirror, we can thank the “King of Pop” for inventing some of the catchiest songs, but we can also thank him for his invention of the Anti-Gravity Shoe. In 1993, Jackson received a patent for this invention that would create an anti-gravity illusion. The invention helped the person wearing the shoes to lean forward beyond the center of gravity by way of a specially-designed heel slot. This slot was attached to the stage by a nail or a post. The person wearing the shoe would slide their foot forward and engage with the post to perform gravity-defying leans.

Check them out!

Though Black History Month is quickly coming to a close, we can thank these three contemporary African American inventors for their innovative contributions to society!

Copyright Davison, 2016

Source:

http://madamenoire.com/106958/contemporary-african-americans-inventors/

Images:

https://blackhistory_pvg.s3.amazonaws.com/lonnie-g-johnson/5146423977_f262630274.jpg

http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/bhistory/inventors/images/bath.jpg

http://www.everythingaction.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Smooth-Criminal-michael-jackson-7446671-2200-1487.jpg

http://d39ya49a1fwv14.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/michael-jackson-double-10.jpg

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In Monday’s blog, we introduced the idea of failing your way forward. We showed you how failure isn’t the end. In fact, failure is just the beginning.

After sharing our founder and CEO George Davison’s story of failing forward, we were intrigued and did some investigating of our own to uncover other prominent inventors and idea people’s stories of failure that turned into success.

Without further ado, we’d like to share with you four famous idea people who failed their way forward!

Sir James Dyson

“Enjoy failure and learn from it. You can never learn from success.”

Vacuuming your home wouldn’t be the same if Sir James Dyson gave up on himself and his idea after countless failed attempts. By countless, we mean 5,126 failed prototypes, in addition to completely wiping out his savings over the course of 15 years. Little did Sir Dyson know that lucky number 5,127 would be the patent that turned his idea into reality! Now, Dyson is the best-selling bagless vacuum brand in America. It’s a story such as this that shows how failing forward, no matter how many times, can sometimes lead to major success!

Bill Gates

“It’s fine to celebrate success, but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.”

It might be hard to believe, but the co-founder of Microsoft endured his own setbacks. In fact, in high school, Gates along with fellow Microsoft co-found Paul Allen created Traf-O-Data. Though they were paid for their efforts, the business ultimately failed. After high school, Gates went on to attend Harvard but eventually dropped out! Though some would consider dropping out of Harvard as a failure, Gates saw it as an opportunity to pursue programming. In the end, Gates used both of these events in his life to propel himself forward and to create what we now know as Microsoft.

Thomas Edison

“I failed my way to success.”

What would you do if you were told that you’re “too stupid to learn anything?” For some, that would cripple any attempts at chasing after their dreams, but for Edison, when his teachers told him that he was “too stupid to learn anything” he used their words as motivation to fail forward. Even after being fired from not one, but two jobs, Edison still pushed forward to chase after his dreams. If he had succumbed to these roadblocks in his life, we wouldn’t have the inventions that changed the course of our lives as we know them, including the practical electrical lamp, the phonograph and, of course, the movie camera. Naysayers couldn’t deter Edison; rather they propelled him to fail forward and ultimately have more than 1,000 patents credited to his name!

John Logie Baird

Finally, in case you missed it, yesterday marked the 90-year celebration of John Logie Baird’s television invention! His mechanical television, also known as “the televisor,” was much like a radio. The difference was that his invention included a rotating mechanism that generated video to accompany the sound. Though his invention preceded the modern television, when he publicly demonstrated his invention in 1926 in Soho in front of members from the Royal Institution and a Journalist from the times, his idea wasn’t warmly accepted. In fact, the journalist didn’t see a future for this invention. But, that wasn’t the worst of it. Baird approached the Daily Express newspaper with his invention and they actually kicked him out. Talk about a failed attempt. But Baird didn’t let that failure deter him; he instead used it to fail forward and in 1927 he transmitted content a whopping 438 miles through a telephone line between London and Glasnow.

As you can see, even the most famous idea people have endured their fair share of failure along the way. However, it’s how they handled these obstacles that ultimately led them to their profound success.

Rather than letting failure define them, these idea people failed forward. Look how amazing their ideas turned out!

If you’re ready to chase after your inventing dreams with the Davison Inventing Method, submit your invention idea today!

Copyright Davison, 2016

Sources:

http://www.onlinecollege.org/2010/02/16/50-famously-successful-people-who-failed-at-first/

http://www.businessinsider.com/successful-people-who-failed-at-first-2015-7

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/google/google-doodle/12121474/Who-invented-the-television-John-Logie-Baird-created-the-TV-in-1926.html

Images:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/James_Dyson_in_February_2013.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4011/4368494308_8f2bd992e4_o_d.jpg

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/52/Thomas_edison_gl%C3%BChbirne.jpg

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7332/16178156208_fd3fa7a5a3_o_d.jpg

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Tomorrow, people all over the United States will be celebrating Thanksgiving Day! In the spirit of giving, we thought that we’d share with you three Thanksgiving inventions!

Ideas come in all shapes and sizes and work to solve a myriad of problems. These three Thanksgiving invention patents were created to solve holiday problems that you never knew existed.

Without further ado, we introduce to you, three Thanksgiving inventions:

Pumpkin Powder – Though it doesn’t sound very appetizing, the invention of pumpkin powder in 1897 was created with the idea of mashing the edible substance of a pumpkin, squash or sweet potato into powder or meal form. From there, this powdery substance could then be combined with water or milk to make pies without having to be cooked before baking.

Pie Filling Device – To build on the latter pie idea, this Thanksgiving invention from 1986 was created to fill pie shells with a fluid filling within a hot oven, via a pumping apparatus. The Pie Filling Device was invented to help alleviate the problem of having to fill pie shells while they are cooking in the oven.

Automatic Mashed Potato System – This more recent Thanksgiving invention idea from 2007 was created in an effort to solve the problem of the time-consuming, inconsistent conventional potato-mashing process. The Automatic Mashed Potato System works in a way that the potatoes would be fed through a unit in the upper cavity of the product that would then pass through a seasoning unit onto a removable collection tray where the seasoned mashed potatoes would collect. From there you can say “voila!” because you’ve just made a batch of mashed potatoes to serve to your friends and family on Thanksgiving Day!

Now that you’ve seen these three Thanksgiving inventions and the problems they look to solve, do you think you’d use any of these for preparing your Thanksgiving Day feast?

From all of us at Davison, we’d like to wish you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving!

Copyright Davison, 2015

Source:

http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/11/9-wild-inventions-that-modernized-thanksgiving/383189/

Images:

http://cdn1.theodysseyonline.com/files/2015/11/20/635835812490014056-678828880_f76a2ddf3faf0266_shutterstock_228478294.jpg

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Year after year, America continues to be the most innovative, inventing nation in the entire world.

When we think of famous American inventors, more times than not, Thomas Edison’s name will likely be rambled off, among many other inventors.

This comes as no surprise, given the fact that he’s invented some of the most prolific inventions in history, such as the phonograph, light bulb and the movie camera, to name a few.

But, along with all inventions comes a slew of patents; and, being the great innovator and inventor that Edison was, between the years of 1869 and 1933, he tacked on 1,084 United States utility patents to his resume.

This astonishing number of patents made him the longstanding record holder for 82 years as the American inventor with the most patents. But, like most things in life, all good things must come to an end and Edison’s reign as patent king in America has come to a close, thanks to a man named Lowell Wood.

It was lucky patent 1,085 that allowed Wood to surpass Edison in the intellectual property department. So, what is Wood’s invention specialty?

According Bloomberg Businessweek’s Ashlee Vance, “The scope of his inventions is insane… he’s just this guy who is compelled to solve problems and invent new ideas.”

In fact, one of his inventions, the “Mosquito Laser” is a device that was invented in order to solve the problem of malaria by killing large numbers of mosquitos to help reduce people’s chance of contracting the disease.

With all of this talk about patents and inventions solving problems, we couldn’t help but reflect on the importance of patents and what it takes to chase your dreams.

So, with that being said, we wanted to offer you three inventing tips:

1. Be persistent – Coming up with an invention idea and hopefully seeing it succeed doesn’t happen overnight. If you’re serious about your idea, it’s important to understand that it’ll take diligence, perseverance and a great attitude to be able to handle the obstacles along the inventing journey.
2. Be positive – As we mentioned in the previous point, a great attitude is an important cog in the invention wheel. Know that there will be naysayers and people who are waiting for you to fail. Despite this negative energy, keeping a positive and focused attitude will help you deal with the curveballs and continue to chase after your dreams.
3. Be smart – Inventions come out of necessity and work to solve problems. Think of yourself as Sherlock Holmes. You are a detective who is looking to solve a problem and that problem will be solved with your invention idea. To that point, you’ll want to surround yourself with a “Watson;” what we mean by this is that you’ll want to spend time with people who share your vision, who support you and who encourage you to do your best day in and day out.

Lowell Wood’s 1,085 patents alone are inspiring; however, it’s his creativity, intellect and, of course, his innovative spirit that has earned him with the title of America’s leading patent holder.

Only time will tell how long Wood will keep the patent-holding crown!

Copyright Davison, 2015

Sources:

http://www.intellectualventures.com/insights/archives/move-over-thomas-edison.-lowell-wood-is-now-americas-most-prolific-inventor?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Daily+Intellectual+Ventures+IV+Insights+Blog&utm_content=Daily+Intellectual+Ventures+IV+Insights+Blog+CID_4443067d1f91f4203566d66e332d5cf8&utm_source=Email+marketing+software&utm_term=Move+Over+Thomas+Edison+Lowell+Woo

Images:

https://panosnomikos.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/lowell-wood.jpg

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Leave it to a 1968 classic children’s film to provide just the right amount of inspiration and humor to keep us motivated.

Recently, our founder and CEO, Mr. Davison, shared the inspirational tune The Roses of Success from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, a movie about a down-on-his-luck inventor who eventually invents a revolutionary flying car. See the song below.

Throughout this movie and this song in particular, viewers are shown that sometimes things don’t play out as you’d hope. This notion applies perfectly to the world of inventing.

Sometimes our imaginations run free and we believe that our inventions will be an instant record-breaking success. However, even some of the most famous inventors had to overcome obstacles in order to achieve success!

If you don’t believe us, here’s a short list of inventors who had to overcome failure.

Let’s start with an example right from the song!

Alexander Graham Bell – Straight from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is a verse that encapsulates Bell’s struggles to claim his invention of the telephone as his own! For years and years, Bell faced legal challenges to claim that he was the sole inventor. Rather than give up, Bell embarked on one of the longest patent battles in history to fight for his idea.

Thomas Edison – The phonograph, electrical lamp and the movie camera were just a few of the inventions that are credited to Edison. However, none of these inventions, plus his more than 1,000 patents, would have been possible if he listened to his teachers that told him he was “too stupid to learn anything.”

Walt Disney – Mickey Mouse and Walt Disney World wouldn’t mean anything to us today if Walt Disney listened to the newspaper editor who fired him because he “lacked imagination and had no good ideas.” But, that wasn’t the only failure that Disney ever experienced. In fact, several more of his business ventures failed before the premiere of his movie “Snow White.” Despite these failures, we can see today that those detours eventually would lead him down the road to ultimate success!

Thanks to our own founder and CEO Mr. Davison for sharing this inspirational clip to show us that even the most successful inventors had to overcome their fair share of failures and obstacles to reach their own Roses of Success!

Copyright Davison, 2015

Sources:

http://www.businessinsider.com/successful-people-who-failed-at-first-2014-3

Media:

https://youtu.be/GND10sWq0n0

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/Alexander_Graham_Bell.jpg

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Thomas_Edison2.jpg

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/Walt_Disney_1946.JPG

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