
Patent No. 1 – July 31, 1790 - RyanShook
https://explorepahistory.com/displayimage.php?imgId=1-2-988
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deaddodo
It's important to note that this is the _first_ US patent. Technically Patent
No. 1 is the Locomotive Steam Engine[1]. The US Patent Office burned down in
1836[2] and patents were renumbered from that point on. All previous patents
are now listed as X-Patents[3].

1 -
[https://patents.google.com/patent/US1](https://patents.google.com/patent/US1)

2 -
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1836_U.S._Patent_Office_fire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1836_U.S._Patent_Office_fire)

3 -
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-Patent](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-Patent)

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drewbug
> Whereas Samuel Hopkins of the City of Philadelphia and State of Pensylvania
> hath discovered an Improvement, not known or used before, such Discovery, in
> the making of Pot ash and Pearl ash by a new Apparatus and Proceſs; that is
> to say, in the making of Pearl ash 1st. by burning the raw Ashes in a
> Furnace, 2d. by disſolving and boiling them when so burnt in Water, 3rd. by
> drawing off and settling the Ley, and 4th. by boiling the Ley into Salts
> which then are the true Pearl ash; and also in the making of Pot ash by
> fluxing the Pearl ash so made as aforesaid; which Operation of burning the
> raw Ashes in a Furnace, preparatory to their Diſsolution and boiling in
> Water, is new, leaves little Residuum; and produces a much greater Quantity
> of Salt: These are therefore in pursuance of the Act, entituled “An Act to
> promote the Progreſs of useful Arts”, to grant to the said Samuel Hopkins,
> his Heirs, Administrators and Aſsigns, for the Term of fourteen Years, the
> sole and exclusive Right and Liberty of using, and vending to others the
> said Discovery, of burning the raw Ashes previous to their being diſsolved
> and boiled in Water, according to the true Intent and Meaning, of the Act
> aforesaid. In Testimony whereof I have caused these Letters to be made
> patent, and the Seal of the United States to be hereunto affixed. Given
> under my Hand at the City of New York this thirty first Day of July in the
> Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred & Ninety.

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mytailorisrich
> _City of New York July 31st, 1790._

And this is what New York looked like at that time:

[http://legacy.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/population_grow...](http://legacy.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/population_growth_1909/txu-
pclmaps-oclc-866251365-plan-of-the-city-of-new-york-1789.jpg)

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neiman
Slippery slope, people, it's a slippery slope.

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joosters
Patent number 1 should be for a time machine :(

~~~
CamTin
This is the premise of Cheapass Games' "US Patent No. 1"

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Patent_No._1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Patent_No._1)

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joshenders
Did anyone else read this as Jan 1, 1970?

~~~
kator
Yup, but I have Dyslexia so I'm used to the transposition of the 2nd and 3rd
character happening once in a while. I tend to "look away" and look back and
usually can see the right thing. It's very frustrating when you get tired and
are writing code, and staring at random symbols that literally don't mean
anything now....

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bitxbit
Off topic but what would be the downside of having no patents in today’s
world? I actually think it would drastically accelerate the pace of
innovations.

~~~
CraftThatBlock
The purpose of patent is to encourage innovation. If companies/individuals
didn't have protection for their invention, why would they invest into R&D if
their competitors could steal their idea/process?

It provides a middle-ground - the inventor has exclusive rights to the
invention for a portion of time (20 years), where they can reap the benefits
of the patent. Once it expires, anyone can use it.

~~~
bitxbit
I don’t think patents encourage innovation at all in today’s world (and for
that matter it’s questionable if they ever did). The main driver behind
innovation is rarely monetary.

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jwilk
Transcription:
[https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/United_States_patent_X1](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/United_States_patent_X1)

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ExcavateGrandMa
Is it same familly that anthony hopkins? the godfather from Westworld.

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082349872349872
see also:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venetian_Patent_Statute](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venetian_Patent_Statute)

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pk2619
to check

