Reborn In 17th century India with Black Technology

214  The Patent Act (1655) Part: (2/2)

Dakshin Bharatiya Empire, Vijayanagara State, Lingapura

After hearing the notice read by her daughter, Jayamma became very excited. Although it was only a possibility, she felt like her own mango-lemon mixed pickle recipe could be eligible for a patent application. In the same excitement, she travelled to the nearest court located in the nearby town and applied for the patent. Her daughter helped her understand the various things in the application form. Fortunately, after going through the form and reading the guidelines provided, it was concluded that Jayamma's recipe was unique and could be mass-produced according to the mass-production eligibility test. Hence, she was granted a patent for 7 years.

She took the document and had her daughter read it again, "Patent for Jayamma's Mango and Lemon Mixed Pickle Recipe. This recipe contains 12 spices in a unique ratio. Anyone identified copying this recipe could be punished by the rule of law."

Jayamma was very happy. She thought maybe with this patent, the merchant she talked to would be willing to provide a loan for her. Although she had the five acres of land that was gifted by the Empire, she did not want to sell that land. She had planted mango and lemon seedlings after deciding to start her own business. Hence, even if the business fails, she could make some money by selling the mangoes and lemons. Therefore, that land was her and her daughter's livelihood, their family's last line of reliance, so she would never sell it.

Similar cases happened throughout the empire. Most of the applicants who applied for patents sought protection for some sort of ancestral recipe. While many applicants failed, some of them succeeded.

Even the businessmen who were involved in medicine applied for various sorts of patents. Bhupathi, who was the inventor of the assembly production method, also received 5 to 6 patents for his medical concoctions.

The medical recipes initially gathered from the public at the inception of the Bharatiya Academy of Science underwent rigorous verification tests. Those deemed unreliable or with significant side effects were discarded, while the authentic ones earned patents. The contributors of these recipes were summoned to local courts, where they were presented with patent certificates. There was a catch, though; although they now owned the patent, the right to utilize and experiment with the recipe remained with the Bharatiya Academy of Sciences.

Despite this, people didn't mind, as what they received in return was essentially free money. Before being granted the patent, they likely never anticipated that the recipes they shared with the Empire could eventually bring them financial gain.

Patents were granted to scientists in the empire, especially individuals like Sai and Manoj Reddy. Although the patent had to be shared with the organization they were affiliated with, it did not change the fact that they received numerous benefits that were previously absent.

One of the scientific minds generating the most patents was Naveen Bhat, a kid from the Bhat family who improved the papermaking machine. Naveen, after enhancing papermaking with different types of gears, became obsessed with the mechanism. He went on to invent multiple devices that utilized gears for better efficiency, such as the waterwheel and the flour mill. He even developed a theoretical model for the use of gears in carriages. Overall, he became very wealthy through patents and continued inventing more things. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Even the royal family sought patents, particularly in the maritime industry, where Vijay contributed numerous small yet innovative inventions to propel the naval sector of the Empire forward. Notably, patents were also secured for various types of cannon shots designed by Vijay. However, the royal family does not exclusively own these patents; they are shared with the Bharatiya Academy of Military Sciences, responsible for bringing these designs to life. In cases where the Raya armoury fully manufactured cannons, the patent credits belong entirely to the royal family. For projects involving the Bharatiya Academy of Military Sciences, patents are shared between the royal family and the academy.

14:36

Even the royal family sought patents, particularly in the maritime industry, where Vijay contributed numerous small yet innovative inventions to propel the naval sector of the Empire forward. Notably, patents were also secured for various types of cannon shots designed by Vijay. However, the royal family does not exclusively own these patents; they are shared with the Bharatiya Academy of Military Sciences, responsible for bringing these designs to life. In cases where the Raya armoury fully manufactured cannons, the patent credits belong entirely to the royal family. For projects involving the Bharatiya Academy of Military Sciences, patents are shared between the royal family and the academy.

Danior Boswell also received several patents. While he expected the patents, he was surprised that His Majesty would establish a patent system similar to the one seen in Europe.

Although the cannons, guns, and grenades were patented, the gunpowder formula, metallurgical formulas, and the method of cement production were not patented. This was because all these technologies were not only the core technology of the Empire but also difficult to emulate. Hence, it was deemed unnecessary to patent these technologies. However, if anyone wanted to copy the design of the cannon or a gun, it could be easily done just by smuggling a unit for themselves, as exemplified by the Mughals.

Interestingly, military technology was not the only thing patented by the royal family; even the mop that Vijay invented on a whim was patented. This seemingly insignificant patent actually led to a lot of progress in the Empire.

One might wonder how a mere mop patent could contribute to progress in the Empire. The answer is simple: because the mop is so easy to make, it was highly copied throughout the Empire. Even small craftsman shops knew how to make this mop. However, according to the patent law, they were no longer allowed to manufacture this mop, or they would be fined or, in the worst cases, imprisoned.

This issue became a significant concern in the empire, and people's complaints reached the various panchayats across the Empire, which then brought them to the attention of the central government. Before the central government could bring this issue to Vijay's notice, he was already aware of it, as he was informed by the Bharatiya Internal Pragya. Thinking that it might be a wonderful opportunity to popularize the licensing of patents, Vijay made a proclamation that the license for the 'Imperial Mop' patent would be available to anyone for just one copper Varaha.

After Vijay clarified the price, the craftsmen were relieved and bought the license for the patent at one copper Varaha. Overnight, the people of the Empire suddenly got to know that patents could also be used in this way.

Bhupathi, after witnessing how His Majesty licensed his patent for money, also got an idea. He teamed up with some of the prominent merchants in the empire and proposed a deal: "I am willing to license my medical concoction for colds, but in exchange for my license, I need 20% of the profits."

While some merchants agreed to the deal, a few hesitated, deeming it too expensive. However, they failed to grasp the market potential embedded in this arrangement. Bhupathi, having sold his cherished patent, witnessed the emergence of several medical companies offering his formulations. With a reputation for high-quality products, Bhupathi became renowned, and the merchants who acquired the patent rights capitalized on this advantage. They advertised the product as 'XYZ Company Cold Medicine, directly licensed by Bhupathi Pharmaceuticals.'

The sudden increase in production made concoctions that were once costly for common people now very affordable. Furthermore, with the production surge, raw material demands inadvertently rose, contributing to the increased profitability of herb farmers.

Few more such cases could be seen within the empire, but the scale was not as large as what Bhupati and his associates had accomplished.

This news of the patent law also reached the European merchants in Thiruvananthapuram.

Most of them were surprised that the eastern country, which appeared very feudal, had suddenly established a patent system that was very European in origin. What was even more impressive was that the Dakshin Bhartiya Empire's version of The Patent Act seemed more thought out, and some of its regulations even made them ponder their own patent system.

Thomas Bartholomew was also shocked by the Patent Act. Unlike the normal merchants around him, he was shocked for a different reason. He was surprised because this Empire or this emperor was growing too quickly. Since he had landed in the subcontinent, 3 to 4 major changes had taken place in this Empire, and all of the changes were in the direction of modernization. As he looked deeply, he could also see some European elements in these reforms. "Things are moving too fast; I must hurry up," he thought to himself.

In the Embassy of the Venetian Republic, Leonardo Bellini is absent as he is on a trip to Venice. In his place is Francis Molin, a member of the Molin noble family—one of the six main noble families of the Republic of Venice. Upon receiving information about The Patent Act of the Dakshin Bhartiya Empire, Francis was surprised and somewhat pleased that his ally was implementing the patent system that they, Venetians, had formulated. That's right, the original patent system was devised by the city-state of Venice.

The history of the patent system dates back to Ancient Greek civilization, where there are rumours about the ancient Greeks using laws similar to patent laws, though the evidence is limited. The next substantial roots of the patent system trace back to the medieval guilds from the 11th to the 15th centuries. These guilds or associations offered protection to members' secret techniques, but it wasn't formalized and focused more on protecting existing knowledge than encouraging new inventions.

It wasn't until the early 15th century that the modern patent system was formulated. Facing competition from other Italian city-states, Venice issued the world's first documented patent statute in 1474. According to the statute, inventors could apply for a 10-year exclusive right to produce a new invention if they disclosed it to the government, aiming to encourage innovation in key industries like glassmaking.

Francis was impressed with how polished the patent law was. "Hehe, interesting," he said to himself, chuckling.

P.S. It was 9 by the time I got home, was tired so I slept.