Brunelleschi's Patent

Filippo Brunelleschi, in 1421, claimed he had invented a new means of conveying goods up the Arno River (he was intentionally vague on details), which he refused to develop unless the state kept others from copying his design. Florence complied, and Brunelleschi walked away with the right to exclude all new means of transport on the Arno for three years. By this, the principles of uniqueness for an idea to be granted time limited rights for exploitation of a novel idea by an authority paved the way for the patents system to evolve.

Hence the first patented ideas, the way Brunelleschi did, is without questions the best patented idea of history. You can argue about the merits of different inventions like the zipper or the light bulb, but probably those ideas would not have patented if it had not be for Brunelleschi’s brilliance. There is only one first-patent ever!

Submitted by: Antulio Tarazona