"Perpetual technological innovation is so much a part of contemporary life that it is difficult even to imagine the world without it. Before the eighteenth century, inventions were either created by those wealthy enough to do so as a leisure activity (or to patronize artisans to do so on their behalf), or they were kept secret for as long as possible. Human character was changed, and changed forever, by Britain's insistence that ideas were a kind of property. For while the laws of nature place severe limits on the total amount of gold, or land... there are no constraints at all on the number of potentially valuable ideas."
- from The Most Powerful Idea in the World by William Rosen
The Most Powerful Idea in the World: a Story of Steam, Industry, and Invention by Linda Hall Library participates in the Patent and Trademark Resource Center (PTRC) Program. The PTRC program is administered by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
To learn more about this service, or find additional intellectual property resources, visit Linda Hall's Patents and Trademarks Research Guide.
American Inventions : a History of Curious, Extraordinary, and Just Plain Useful Patents by 
A History of Intellectual Property in 50 Objects by 
Patent, copyright & trademark : an intellectual property desk reference by 
Nolo's Patents for Beginners by 
How to Make Patent Drawings by 
Patent It Yourself : your step-by-step guide to filing at the U.S. Patent Office by 
