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Show Greek Law of 25 Centuries Ago Provides Fundamentals of Present Day Patent System The grant of patents for inventions inven-tions began long before the Chris-tianera, Chris-tianera, Frank E. Barrows of New York says in a symposium of the American Chemical Society on American Patent Practice and Procedure. Pro-cedure. "The earliest patent system of which we have authentic record was in the Greek province of Sybaris and related to inventions of new foods," it is pointed out. "Sybaris was destroyed de-stroyed in 510 B. C, and with it the record of its experience with a pat-pnt pat-pnt svstem. but the Greek historian the profit to be derived from its manufacture during this period, and the purpose was not only to protect and reward the inventor but to encourage en-courage others to labor at excelling in that field. Thus we have in the Sybaris patent law of 25 centuries ago the fundamentals of our modern patent systems. "For practical purposes the earliest ear-liest of our modern systems is that of Great Britain, established by the English Statute of Monopolies in 1623, more than three centuries ago. Our own patent system is next in Phylarchus, writing in the Third century B. C, tells us about the provisions pro-visions of the system. It provided that any cook or caterer who invented in-vented an unusual and peculiar dish was entitled to a monopoly of this new invention for a period of one year. "Only the inventor was entitled to point of time. It was established in 1700. shortly after the adoption of the Federal Constitution. "Even before that time patents had been granted by some of the American colonies. The adoption of patent systems has spread and practically prac-tically all nations have patent systems." |
