The Wizard of Menlo Park
 |
Written by Gene Quinn President & Founder of IPWatchdog, Inc. Patent Attorney, Reg. No. 44,294 Zies, Widerman & Malek E-mail | Blog | Twitter | LinkedIn Posted: Apr 4, 2008 @ 6:33 pm 
|
|
This cartoon is humorous on many levels. Perhaps first and foremost is the fact that children under the age of 13 have never known a world without the World Wide Web, and for all intents and purposes everyone under the age of 21 (maybe even older) has no recollection of life before the advent of the World Wide Web. For our purposes here, however, it gives me an opportunity to talk about the quintessential American inventor, Thomas Edison.
Benjamin Franklin may be the most famous American inventor, but the most prolific and influential American inventor was undoubtedly Thomas Alva Edison. It is indeed difficult to imagine the modern world without scientific contributions and inventions of Edison. Nevertheless, Edison did have failures, including his failed support of DC power over AC power, but Edison never let failure stand between him and success. Known as the Wizard of Menlo Park, Edison received over one thousand US patents, the first of which was filed on October 13, 1868, when he was the tender age of 21.
Perhaps Edison’s most famous inventions were the phonograph, motion pictures and the light-bulb. Truth be told, however, he really didn’t “invent” the lightbulb, but rather he improved upon the technology by developing a light-bulb that used a lower current electricity, a small carbonized filament, and an improved vacuum inside the globe. Edison’s invention lead to a reliable, long-lasting source of light.
It is important for aspiring inventors to always remember that while Thomas Edison was a brilliant inventor he was perhaps an even more brilliant businessman. Early on in his career he invented devices without considering whether there would be a market for his inventions. He soon became determined to never again invent without knowing there would be a market. What this lead Edison to do primarily was improve upon exisiting inventions. By improving upon exisiting inventions he knew there would be customers. If there were customers for an inferior product then his superior product would be a winner. It is this unique blend of genius inventor and genius in business that makes us remember Edison today.
About the Author
 |
Eugene R. Quinn, Jr.
President & Founder of IPWatchdog, Inc. US Patent Attorney (Reg. No. 44,294) Zies, Widerman & Malek B.S. in Electrical Engineering, Rutgers University J.D., Franklin Pierce Law Center L.L.M. in Intellectual Property, Franklin Pierce Law Center Send me an e-mail  |
Gene Quinn is a US Patent Attorney, law professor and the founder of IPWatchdog.com. He is also a principal lecturer in the top patent bar review course in the nation, which helps aspiring patent attorneys and patent agents prepare themselves to pass the patent bar exam. Known by many as “The IPWatchdog,” Gene started the widely popular intellectual property website IPWatchdog.com in 1999, and since that time the site has had millions of unique visitors. Gene has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the LA Times, CNN Money, NPR and various other newspapers and magazines worldwide. He represents individuals, small businesses and start-up corporations. As an electrical engineer with a computer engineering focus his specialty is electronic and computer devices, Internet applications, software and business methods.
Related posts (automatically generated):
- Famous Inventors: Thomas Edison
An argument can be made that Benjamin Franklin may be the most famous American inventor, but without a doubt the most prolific and influential American inventor was Thomas Alva Edison. It is indeed difficult to imagine the modern world without scientific contributions and inventions of Edison. Nevertheless, Edison did have... - Q&A With Sarah Miller Caldicott, Thomas Edison’s Grandniece
Sarah Miller Caldicott is the great grandniece of the legend himself, Thomas Alva Edison. She’s a motivational speaker, head of business consulting firm PowerPatterns and the co-author of Innovate Like Edison: The Success System of America’s Greatest Inventor. In this interview Caldicott reveals what she’s learned and gained from being... - A Critique of Mark Lemley’s “The Myth of the Sole Inventor”
For example, regarding Thomas Edison, Lemley’s primary case illustrating the so-called “myth of the sole inventor,” he alleges that “Sawyer and Man invented and patented the incandescent light bulb” (Lemley 2011, p26) and that “Edison did not invent the light bulb in any meaningful sense” (Lemley 2011, p25). We disprove... - Lemley Responds: Defending the Myth of the Sole Inventor
If you actually read my article you will find that I simply don’t say the things they claim I say. The basic refrain of the Howells-Katznelson paper is that (1) I think Edison and the Wright brothers didn’t make inventive contributions, and (2) I diminish their contributions in service of... - Improvement Patents & Inventions
This cartoon is hopefully funny enough to make you chuckle. I could use a ergonomic office chair that reclines, is heated and gives a vibrating massage, but I am not sure I want to get involved with one that also comes equipped to provide electro-shock therapy. Not that I would... - The Eureka Method: How to Think Like an Inventor
In my experience, the passion to invent is stirred by two things: dissatisfaction with an existing product or service (i.e., too large, too slow, too expensive, too difficult to use), or a dream and desire to create something entirely new, a product or service that will augment humanity’s capability to... - Inventing to Solve Problems
While this cartoon may be funny, it speaks to a problem that is faced by many inventors and companies. The key to making money with innovation is to be able to solve a problem that will lead to a product or service that others will be willing to pay for. ...
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
[...] of DC power over AC power, but Edison never let failure stand between him and success. Known as the Wizard of Menlo Park, Edison received over one thousand US patents, the first of which was filed on October 13, 1868, [...]
I remember hearing how Edison did not invent so many of these as history would like us to think, and that he simply got the patents to this inventions first, I think. Don’t know if that’s true or not.
Plus, the cartoon is really funny. xD And a good commentary on our world as of today.