Posted
on February 20, 2014
Toothpick making machine |
Elevator |
Okay,
so exactly what is a patent?
A
patent is a set of rights granted by a nation to an inventor—rights
to keep her or his invention exclusive, for a while, in return for
making the details of the patent public. Patents are only given for
products or processes that solve specific technological problems. You
can't get a patent for a clever saying or a song—art, words, music,
and the like are covered by copyright law, not patents.
(However,
patents and copyright both deal with what is known as “intellectual
property.” You have the right to profit from your own original
ideas, whether they are electronic devices or novels.)
Notice that the patent for the game of Monopoly includes very specific drawings of each part of the game. |
Notice
that patents only protect the specifics of an invention, and only in
one particular country, and only for a limited time. People make
changes to an invention, improvements on a product or process, all
the time, and they often take out a new patent on that improvement.
The
Met!
Between Earth and Heaven by El Anatsui |
We are reflected in an art piece at the Met. |
By the way, notice that the admission prices are only recommendations. As the museum says, “To help cover the cost of exhibitions, we ask that you please pay the full recommended amount.” But if you cannot afford to pay the current recommended fee, $25 per adult and $12 per student 12 and up, you can pay less. The museum person collecting the entrance fee may frown at you, but you will still get in.
Also,
the recommended fee for children under 12, accompanied by adult, is
FREE!
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