American slaves couldn’t hold property – including patents on their own inventions. But that didn’t stop black Americans from innovating since the beginning of the country’s history.
Founded in 1790, the Patent Office aimed to put innovation and entrepreneurship within reach of every citizen. Now, 10 million patents later, critics say an out-of-touch system is doing the opposite.
Nobody loves patent trolls. But new legislation in Congress aimed at the trolls isn’t necessary, since the effects of recent patent reforms are only starting to be felt.