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Inventions have been part of our history for as long as man has been around. Patents however, only came into being around 1330, when a royal grant was issued to John Kemp & Co.
The first time an invention received patent rights in Italy was in 1421. The Ancient Greeks have used forms of patents as early as 500 B.C.
The first of inventions to receive monopoly rights in France was that of Abel Foullon who invented a range finder. The publication of such only came once the monopoly rights expired in 1561.
The word patent originated in the Latin language and has the meaning of open letter. The Italians are credited for the first informal system of granting open letters to indicate rights to inventions.
The modern versions of such authorities have wider reach and include for instance, the country patent office such as the South African Patent Office, then the regional and international offices such as the European Patent Office, and of course the main body today – WIPO which stands for World Intellectual Property Office, making it possible to file patent rights not only in a particular country, but in numerous countries at once.
The 20th century differed from the earlier centuries in the sense that paten searching became possible and custom before the granting of patent rights to inventions. Today, many lawsuits surround patents because of the value of patents.
People recognize that for them to be able to exploit their inventions fully and benefit from the commercial exploits thereof they require some kind of protection against copying, distribution and marketing of the inventions without them also benefitting from it.
Patent rights give the monopoly rights needed and ensure that inventors have legal backing for their claims.
If you want to protect your inventions, contact us at Smit & Van Wyk to help you register patent rights.
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