Inventor
An inventor is a person who creates new inventions, typically technical devices such as mechanical, electrical or software devices or methods. Although some inventors may also be scientists, most of them are engineers in fact as they base their work on the discoveries of other scientists, experimenting with practical applications and combinations of those discoveries, and with improvements and combinations of existing devices, to create new useful devices.
Inventorship is a key determination in establishing Patent rights. The system of patents was established 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 patent right originates from the Intellectual property clause of the Constitution.
The capacity to invent can be developed. See TRIZ, the theory of inventive problem-solving.
Etymology
The word "inventor" comes form the Latin verb invenire, invent-, to find.See also
- List of inventors
- List of engineers
- List of scientists
- History of science and technology
- Inventor's notebook
- Inventorship
- Autodesk Inventor for the 3D modeling CAD application