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Patents protected intellectual property from "summary" of The Idea Factory by Jon Gertner
Patents were a crucial tool for protecting intellectual property. They safeguarded inventors' ideas from being stolen or copied by competitors. Patents gave their owners the exclusive right to profit from their creations for a set period, typically twenty years. This protection allowed inventors to invest time and resources into developing their innovations without fear of immediate competition. Furthermore, patents served as a form of currency in the world of technology. Companies could use patents to negotiate agreements, cross-license technologies, or even ward off potential lawsuits. The Bell Labs researchers understood the importance of patents in maintaining their competitive edge. They filed for hundreds of patents each year to protect their inventions, ranging from the transistor to the laser. These patents not only shielded their work from imitators but also provided a source of ...
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