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Summary Joel Mokyr - Modern History (GE1V21002)
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Summary of 2 pages for the course Modern History at UU (-)
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Aline HuninkStudent 5066360
Utrecht University
Assignment 1. Summary
Intellectual Property Rights, The Industrial Revolution and the Beginnings of the Modern
Economic Growth by Joel Mokyr
This summary concerns the article Intellectual Property Rights, the Industrial Revolution,
and the Beginnings of Modern Economic Growth by Joel Mokyr. In his article, Mokyr
discusses the influence of the patent system on the Industrial Revolution in Britain during the
19th century.
Mokyr’s main argument clarifies that he does not deny that intellectual property rights
(IPRs) contributed to the process of industrial revolution. However, to automatically assume
that the influence of IPRs is large enough to account for a substantial proportion of the
acceleration of technological progress is not right either. Some thinkers during the time of
Enlightenment assumed that patents lead to innovation which was very important for the
dissemination of knowledge. On the other hand, the Baconian program emphasized that
anything that limits the access to knowledge was wrong. Later on, Mokyr explains that
patents would actually have had a negative influence on the innovation at that time. The
reason why is because patents had been used strategically, so they would prevent the research
of other nonpatentees for instance. In addition, Mokyr describes ‘collective invention’ as very
important, because this means that main actors in technological innovation are able to freely
share information without claiming ownership of it. Whenever you look at the historical
record, it will show that there has been an extraordinary number of patents filed in Britain,
but to assume that you can relate this to the Industrial Revolution is false, because one cannot
be sure that the role of the patents have actually stimulated the process that eventually lead to
modern economic growth. In addition, Mokyr points out that a patent could not become valid
until it had been tested by the courts, which was an extra expense, so people rarely sued.
After the filing costs were reduced in 1852, you could see an increase in the amount of people
who wanted to file for patents. Therefore, suggestions have been made that patents were
above all the consequence of a non-cooperative competitive race, much like an arms race.
Additionally, Mokyr noticed that many of the essential inventors of the Industrial Revolution
thought negatively of the patent system and therefore they would choose not to use it. In
other words; they refused to participate in patents as a matter of principle. And besides
patents, other incentive factors would also have offered enough satisfaction for some, prizes
rewarded by the Society of Arts for instance. Furthermore, Mokyr emphasizes that as long as
a significant number of want-to-be inventors would believe they had a relatively high chance
of success, some case for an incentive system would be established. Thus, as long people as
were willing to be fooled, patents would remain to exist.
In conclusion, Mokyr does not deny that patens have contributed to the Industrial
Revolution, but they are neither the only nor the foremost reason of the acceleration of
technological progress. One should not forget that incentive factors such as honour and
selflessness also played a part.
Word count: 492
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