Thinking of Patenting an Invention?
Here’s Some Inspiration
The First Patent
If you were to try and guess what was the first patent ever, you likely are thinking of something groundbreaking; perhaps it was a machine that changed our lives forever. In fact, on July 31, 1790, Samuel Hopkins was issued the first patent for a procedure for making potash. No, it’s not mashed potatoes – “Potash” was a commonly used term for potassium carbonate, which was derived from burned wood and used as a fertilizer, a detergent to clean fibers in textile manufacturing, and as an ingredient in soap.
You Have to Be a Scientist to Earn a Patent, Right?
In fact, you don’t need to be a math, science, or engineering genius to come up with an invention worthy of a patent. In 1849, a humble attorney named Abraham Lincoln (yes, that one), was granted Patent No. 6,469 for a device that could be filled with air to allow a ship to pass through shoals or shallow water. Lincoln remains the only president to hold a patent, although the device was never put to use.
The Person with the Most Patents in the World
Can you have too many patents? Apparently not. The Guinness Book of World Records credits Shunpei Yamazaki of Japan with having the most patents: 6,314 in 12 countries as of 2011. Yamazaki's company makes video screens, but he also holds patents on cold fusion. Then again, Yamazaki's company does nothing but invent patentable technology and then license it to others, according to Upstart Business Journal.
Let the Games Begin
"Monopoly" Was Based on a Game Patented 30 Years Earlier
Fancy a game of “Landlords”? The self professed inventor of Monopoly, Charles Darrow, claimed he invented it on his own during the Great Depression. In fact, the world's most popular display of capitalism was actually an anti-capitalist game invented in 1903 -- and patented in 1904 -- by Lizzie Magie. Called "The Landlord's Game," the purpose of the game was to demonstrate the evils of private land ownership. Many of the features of her original invention are still alive and well today, such as the Railroads and “Luxuries”, called “Luxury Tax” today. Instead of “passing Go and collecting $200”, her version stated that once your piece fully travels around the board, it has labored upon Mother Earth, and so you collect wages of $100. Darrow likely played a version of the original game before pitching "Monopoly" to Parker Brothers as his own idea. Read more about her game here Lizzie Magie's Game
The First Patented Video Game is Not “Tennis for Two”
It’s commonly thought that the first patented video game is Higinbotham’s Tennis for Two. However, several other inventions hit the scene prior to that — one in the late 1940s and two in the early 1950s. In fact, in 1948, ten years before Higinbotham’s Tennis for Two, Thomas T. Goldsmith Jr. and Estle R. Mann patented the “Cathode-Ray Tube Amusement Device,” making this currently the earliest-documented video game predecessor. The amusement device, however, required players to overlay pictures or illustrations of targets such as airplanes in front of the screen, dovetailing the game’s action. In contrast, Higinbotham’s Tennis for Two displayed the entire game’s visuals on the screen.
The First Home Video Game Console
‘The Odyssey’, manufactured by Magnavox, was released in North America in September of 1972. It is considered the very first home video game console. Ralph Baer, a German-American engineer, created a ping-pong style game for the system. Baer’s creation inspired gaming pioneer Nolan Bushnell of Atari to create his own version: the much more popular and world-renowned Pong, programmed by Al Alcorn.
You can learn a lot about the history of video games in Rochester, NY at the Strong National Museum of Play. Check out their “World Video Game Hall of Fame” exhibit.
Do You Have What It Takes?
Pursuing the development of an idea or invention worthy of a patent requires a combination of personal qualities and traits like these:
- Thinking outside the box and coming up with innovative ideas.
- Seeing problems from different perspectives and generating novel solutions.
- Persisting past obstacles, setbacks, and failures along the way.
- Being curious about how things work and constantly learning.
- Strong problem-solving skills, analytical thinking, and the ability to break down problems into manageable parts.
- Attention to detail, being thorough and detail oriented.
- Taking risks, and step outside of your comfort zone.
I’m going to add another checkbox: having a professional support system – including an experienced IP Attorney. Let’s talk about your project, and how I can help.
