The Art of Inventing

BY EDWIN J. PRINDLE, M.E., L.L.M., of the New York Bar.

A paper read at the 23d Annual Convention of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, Milwaukee, Wis., May 28-31, 1906.

A paper presented at the 23d Annual Convention of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, Milwaukee, Wis., May 28-31, 1906 .
Copyright 1906. By A. I. E. E.
BY EDWIN J. PRINDLE.
There are many kinds of invention. The poet, the artist, the playwright, the novelist all exercise or may exercise invention in the production of their works. The merchant may exercise invention in the devising of a new method of selling goods. The department store was an invention of this class.
The subject of my paper is, however, the art of making technical inventions, and particularly patentable inventions. And, first, of its commercial importance; for the engineer is concerned with things having a commercial value. By the art of inventing, wealth is created absolutely out of ideas alone. It usually takes capital to develop an invention and make it productive, but not always. A notable recent example is Professor Pupin's loaded telephone line. He received a very large sum of money, and his expenditures, as I understand, were comparatively trivial.
The certificate of ownership of an invention is a patent, and the importance of the art of invention will be made apparent from a brief consideration of what rights a patent confers and of the part that patents play in the industries.
A patent is the most perfect form of monopoly recognized by the law. As was said in a recent decision: