Patents and Scientific Papers: Quite Different Concepts: The Reward Is Found in Giving, Not In Keeping [Retrospectroscope]

Presents an analysis of patent creation versus scientific research. An inventor creates something new of practical value, not necessarily following an intellectually reasoned path; a scientist (by and large, after a long process, whether theoretical, experimental, or both) discovers something new that eventually may significantly change the course of knowledge. Both the inventor and the scientist are creators, but their philosophical bases and motivations are utterly different, even opposed to each other, as when two soccer or football teams are engaged in a game. The creation of the inventor usually lasts a shorter time, while that of the scientist tends to remain longer, even becoming an essential principle. The objective of this column is to trace the roots of these forms of creativity and pinpoint their differences, which are many and highly significant. Reviews what the current concept of a patent is: it is a set of exclusive rights granted by a state to an inventor or assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for detailed public disclosure of a product or process (called an “invention”) that is supposedly able to solve a specific problem.