1775 patent

The 1775 patent refers to the first official patent issued in the United States, granted to Samuel Hopkins for a process of making potash, a substance used in soap and glass production. This patent marked a significant step in recognizing inventors' rights to their innovations. It established the practice of granting legal protection to new inventions, encouraging innovation and investment by giving inventors exclusive rights to their creations for a period of time. This early patent system laid the groundwork for modern intellectual property law.