Inventor

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For other uses, see Inventor (disambiguation).

An inventor is a person who creates or discovers new methods, means, or devices for performing a task. The word "inventor" comes form the latin verb invenire, invent-, to find.^[1]^[2]

The term may also refer to those who have been granted a patent (see inventor (patent)). Many things are however not patentable, or are not generally patented, and may nevertheless be considered the product of the work of an inventor. Examples include new methods or products of artistic expression or mathematics. As in the case of formal inventorship (under patent law), a key element is clearly expressible surprise caused by the invention to those knowledgeable in the domain of the invention upon revelation of the invention to them.

1 Artistic and mathematical invention
2 Distinguished from trademark or "-esque"
3 Formal sense
4 See also
5 References
6 External links
7 Notes

[edit] Artistic and mathematical invention

An example of the formal patenting of an artist method/process is the patent by Yves Klein on a particular shade of blue.^[3] This blue color is known as "Kleinian Blue" or International Klein Blue, for an example see [1].^{[dubious — see talk page]}

Similarly, inventions in mathematics may be indelibly associated with a given person, such as Stirling's formula associated with James Stirling.

[edit] Distinguished from trademark or "-esque"

The association of a given artistic or mathematical product with a person (its "inventor") can be distinguished from discoveries which are recognizably typical or characterisic of the person's creations. Such characteristics are more similar to the formal concept of trademark than the formal concept of invention. This loose concept may be indicated by appending the person's name with the suffix "esque", e.g. "Rubenesque Woman Has Picassoesque Face".^[4] The distinction between the "-esque" characteristic and trademark on an artist's name is subtle and has been litigated.^[5]

[edit] Formal sense

Inventorship is a key determination in establishing patent rights. The system of patents was established by to encourage inventors by granting limited-term, limited monopoly on inventions determined to be sufficiently novel, non-obvious, and useful. In the U.S. the intellectual property clause of the Constitution permits (but does not mandate) laws to be passed establishing patent and other intellectual property rights.