The Rights of Inventors: Patents in Society

A series of events will run through fall under the umbrella of “The Rights of Inventors: Patents in Society” in Newman Library.  Watch for announcements in VT News.

The rights of authors and inventors to their creations are the only rights specifically named, within limits, in the 1787 US Constitution.  How has the constitutional right to patent protection operated in American society?

The first event will be a public presentation on Sept 17 -- Constitution Day -- about the legacy of one of Virginia’s most consequential inventors, Cyrus McCormick, whose mechanical reaper revolutionized American agriculture.  The farm in Raphine where he designed and patented this and other machines is preserved as part of Virginia Tech’s Shenandoah Agricultural Research Center.

The series will wrap up in mid-November with a poster contest for undergraduates.  Starting with a patent, the students will be able to choose to present on the social needs (real or perceived) that led to it or to address the social consequences of the invention.   Students can choose what patents will be their points of departure, provided the invention is

• related to agriculture
• has some connection to Virginia, whether in its origins or its effects

 Between those bookends, library experts will offer workshops on

• the resources of the library’s new Patent and Trademark Research Center,
• locating and using other US government information sources tell the story of the invention in society,
• communicating the story effectively,
• making research posters.

Interested in tying these series to your classes (or sponsoring or otherwise helping)?  Talk to Bruce Pencek, Inga Haugen, or Sarah Over.