The word patent originates from the Latin patere, which means "to lay open" (i.e., to make available for public inspection). It is a shortened version of the term letters patent, which was an open document or instrument issued by … See more

Although there is evidence that some form of patent rights was recognized in Ancient Greece in the city of Sybaris, the first statutory patent system is generally regarded to be the Venetian Patent Statute of 1474. Ho… See more