Patent

In 1923, Frederick Banting, Charles Best, and James Collip secured U.S. patents for insulin and its production process, but instead of profiting, they sold the rights to the University of Toronto for just $1 each. Banting is widely quoted as saying, Insulin does not belong to me, it belongs to the world, reflecting his belief that lifesaving medicine should be accessible to all. This extraordinary decision allowed insulin to be mass-produced quickly, transforming diabetes from a fatal illness into a manageable condition. His work earned him the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine the same year, making him one of the youngest Nobel laureates ever.

Glenn T. Seaborg, a Nobel Prize–winning scientist, held two of the shortest patent claims in history. In patents US3156523A and US3161462A, the independent claims were simply “Element 95” and “Element 96”, referring to the elements Americium and Curium (artificial elements created in cyclotrons). Instead of lengthy technical descriptions, these patents claimed the elements themselves, making them uniquely minimal.

The keyboard layout we use today i.e., the QWERTY keyboard layout was patented in 1878 (US 207559A) by Christopher Latham Sholes. Interestingly, it wasn’t designed for speed, but to slow typists down and prevent mechanical jams in early typewriters. Despite the existence of more efficient alternatives like the Dvorak layout, QWERTY became the global standard due to early adoption and strong network effects. Its widespread use began when E. Remington & Sons started producing the Sholes & Glidden Type Writer in 1874, cementing its place in typing history.

India’s Traditional Knowledge Digital Library played a crucial role in 2011 challenging a foreign patent on turmeric’s healing properties. By proving that turmeric’s medicinal use was already documented in ancient texts, India established prior art and got the patent revoked. Supported by efforts aligned with World Intellectual Property Organization frameworks, this case became a landmark in preventing biopiracy. It demonstrated how documenting traditional knowledge in modern, searchable formats can protect centuries-old practices from being wrongly patented, ensuring that such knowledge remains part of the public domain rather than private monopoly.

It sounds absurd, but a patent was once granted for a specific method of swinging sideways on a swing. Filed in 2002, U.S. Patent No. 6,368,227 described a way of moving a swing in a non-traditional motion. The patent became widely mocked and is often cited as an example of how unusual (and sometimes questionable) patents can slip through the system.

Eyewear companies, including EssilorLuxottica (and its subsidiaries like Oakley), hold numerous patents regarding the structural design of nose pads and temples to improve comfort, redistribute weight, and reduce fatigue by optimizing pressure distribution on the user’s face. For example US 5,092,666 covers conformable pads for eyewear frames, including temples, that mold to the user’s facial features.

Licking ice cream can be exhausting work according to this 1999 US5971829A patent. The device features a motorized platform that rotates the scoop of ice cream against the user’s tongue. This was granted as a utility patent because it solved a “problem” (the manual labour of licking) and was technically novel.

In 1908, Miller Williams was granted a patent US 883611A for a method to deal with rodent infestations without actually killing the rat. The device was designed to snap a small collar with a bell onto a rat’s neck. The rat, now “alarmed” by the constant ringing, would run back to its nest. The sound of the bell would terrify the other rats, causing the entire colony to flee the premises. It is a literal take on the phrase “belling the cat.”