Independent inventor

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An independent inventor is a person who creates inventions independently, rather than for an employer. [1]

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Many independent inventors patent their inventions so that they have rights over them, and hope to earn income from selling or licensing them. Usually inventions made in the course of employment are ultimately owned by the employer; this is often specified in the terms of employment. Other inventors (independent or corporate) may create inventions hoped to be of use to anybody, and place them in the public domain.

Notable post-1950 independent inventors

Organizations

See also

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Jerome "Jerry" Hal Lemelson was an American engineer, inventor, and patent holder. Several of his inventions and works in the fields in which he patented have made possible, either wholly or in part, innovations like automated warehouses, industrial robots, cordless telephones, fax machines, videocassette recorders, camcorders, and the magnetic tape drive used in Sony's Walkman tape players. Lemelson's 605 patents made him one of the most prolific inventors in American history.

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Ellen Elgin was an American scientist and inventor.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Edward Robinson "They Saved Small Business When corporate America tried to seize the patent system from independent inventors, this Boston couple came to the rescue." Fortune Small Business, April 1, 2000
  2. "In praise of… the Workmate". The Guardian. 22 February 2011. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
  3. The Guardian newspaper: Alfredo Moser: Bottle light inventor proud to be poor, 13 August 2013