Freedom Line Blog

Over at American Enterprise Institute (AEI), James Pethokoukis wrote a fascinating piece, “America’s Forgotten Prelude to Its Special Century,” in which he explains what led to the century during which America became the most prosperous, powerful and innovative nation in human history between 1870 and 1970.  “Yet America’s special century,” Pethokoukis notes, “did not emerge ex nihilo.  The pro-growth groundwork was laid in the less glamorous decades between 1790 and 1870.”

Critically, Pethokoukis notes the importance of intellectual property (IP), and patents in particular:

Equally important was an innovation culture, according to Rosenbloom.  Patents grew almost five times as fast as the population between the years 1790 and 1850.  Ordinary mechanics drove a culture of tinkering and incremental improvement (what economic historian Joel Mokyr has called the “Industrial Enlightenment.”).”

As we often highlight, strong patent and IP rights (including copyrights, trademarks and trade secrets) play just as important a role today in America’s innovation and economy on everything from lifesaving pharmaceuticals to technology to entertainment.