Saving the world one patent at a time

This article first appeared in Celsias.

So you've developed a brilliant new clean technology? Its widespread use will benefit humankind greatly but you are loath to simply give the technology away without some form of compensation for your efforts. The answer? A patent.

What is a patent?

The traditional view of a patent is that it confers a monopoly on the use of an invention to its owner and the owner wields the patent like a bludgeon to prevent anyone else benefitting from the invention.

The reality is quite different.  A patent is a tool that entrepreneurs and businesses can use to obtain financial reward for developing the technology and exert some control over the use of the technology while still enabling its widespread adoption and use.