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Wealth of Ideas, February 2004
Throughout history, certain inventions have profoundly
impacted the course of mankind. Movable type, invented
by Johann Gutenberg, and the discovery of penicillin
are two notable examples.
Movable type, developed long before the institution
of patents, not only enabled literacy amongst a greater
population, but promoted the development of literature,
research, and art – helping to bring about the
advent of the Renaissance.
Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928, when
patent laws were already in effect. Yet Fleming consciously
chose not to patent his discovery, hoping that his published
reports might hasten its development and use.
But what about the little things…everyday objects
that have made our lives easier?
Take the package saver. What would life be like without
that small circular thing that keeps the pizza from
hitting the top of the box? Patented in 1985 by Carmela
Vitale, the package saver is unlikely to bring about
a new renaissance, but boy are we grateful.
And then there are Post-It Notes. 3M could not find
a use for its repositionable adhesive until years later,
when a new 3M product development researcher named Art
Fry, frustrated by the way his paper bookmarks would
always fall out of his books, gave the product its current
form.
These small and very practical innovations were not
only good ideas, but had marketability – a necessary
product characteristic for obtaining an attractive return
on investment. And this little detail is what separates
a merely interesting idea or invention from a lucrative
one: a market for the resulting product. This, too,
is one of those “little things” that can make
a big difference.
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