IMPACT/HISTORY
The U.S. legacy of freedom of ideas, ownership and competition is built on intellectual property.
Creators and inventors come in many shapes and sizes. So do creations.
At first, it may not be clear if an invention or song or brand will have value. Still, if they are new they deserve our respect, regardless of their source.
Providing a path for protecting and sharing new ideas is very American. Many other nations have adopted systems based that of the U.S.
IP rights provide opportunity by giving businesses of all sizes and independent inventors, musicians, and other creators the ability to protect and profit from what they generate.
Turning Points in Patent History
*Multiple patents often are responsible for a single successful product
No Accident
America’s proud history of creation and commerce is no accident. It was written into the United States Constitution in 1788. From the steam engine to the Wright Brothers’ flying machine to the smartphone, the U.S. literally runs on IP. So do many other nations.
The part IP must play in American life is discussed by Founding Fathers James Madison and Alexander Hamilton [the same man celebrated in the musical] in The Federalist Papers. Their vision changed the course of history.
IP systems, far from perfect, have been carefully cultivated, balanced –and re-balanced – over the centuries to keep pace with changing times and technologies.