April 4, 2008
Early days of patent invention
The history of patent invention dates back to as early as 500 BC in Sybaris, Greece. Some contend that patents originated in the Roman Empire where guilds existed. The guild system followed a system of apprenticeship, which facilitated the process of imparting the techniques of the craft. Thus it can be regarded as communal property rather than a monopoly held by an individual. Patent invention could have emerged out of the need to develop new industries within the empire. Protection of the trade and tax incentives may have served as inducements to lure foreigners. Patent invention granted exclusive rights to practice their art for a certain period of time.