Patent agents and the multifaceted business of "translation

Abstract

The period between 1880 and the first world war was not only a period of extraordinary growth in the rate of patenting, but also one of considerable changes both in the legislation and in the practice of patenting. The aim of the paper is to examine the role played by patent agents in this process, and throw new light on their contribution towards the development of twentieth century patenting standards. We intend to assess the extent to which they were instrumental in the codification "from the bottom-up" of a modern language of patenting, and were actively involved in promoting international agreements. We also want to explore their role as intermediaries in the development of a market for inventions, and in the diffusion of technical knowledge inside and across boundaries, in the period up to the First World War.