Recent discussions on the abolition of patents for inventions in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the Netherlands : $b Evidence, speeches, and papers in its favour

A vivid snapshot of mid‑nineteenth‑century reformist thought, this volume gathers the most compelling arguments from leading politicians, economists and industrialists who questioned the very foundation of patent law. Readers encounter the fervent pleas of parliamentarians, chamber‑of‑commerce representatives and scholars who saw patents as monopolies that stifled trade and innovation across Britain, France, Germany and the Netherlands.

The collection is organized around speeches, petitions, and scholarly papers that lay out both the economic and moral cases for abolishing patents. Contributors propose alternatives such as state‑granted rewards for inventors, international coordination, and clearer distinctions between copyright and patent protection. Together, these documents reveal a pan‑European dialogue that wrestles with the balance between private rights and the public good, offering a rich primary‑source portrait of a pivotal moment in the history of intellectual‑property policy.