July 18: 500 Patents

Jerome H. Lemelson, who held more than 500 patents for essential components of 20th-century technology, was born on Staten Island on this date in 1923. Lemelson conceived and patented ideas for elements of automatic teller machines (ATMs), automatic warehousing systems, bar code readers, camcorders, computer hard drives, cordless phones, fax machines, industrial robots, injection molding, rechargeable batteries, velcro target games, propeller beanies, video-cassette recorders, word processing systems, and much more — and backed his patents with scores of lawsuits against automobile companies, toy companies, manufacturing firms, and numerous others. Between 1957 and his death in 1997, Lemelson averaged about one patent per month, which led his adversaries to accuse him of “patent rustling” and being more of a science fiction writer than an actual inventor (many of his patent applications did not include a working model). Lemelson devoted his fortune to the defense of independent inventors by founding the Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation and establishing the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance (NCIIA). He also provided funding for the Lemelson-MIT Program at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and its annual half-million-dollar Lemelson-MIT Prizes for outstanding inventors. “You cannot develop a reputation for somebody who gives up. You have to be known as a fighter for your rights. Otherwise, you’ll never license anything. . . . Even Thomas Edison had a tough time supporting and protecting his patents. He spent about $1.4 million [to defend his inventions], and this was around the turn of the century, when beer was a nickel.” —Jerome H. Lemelson Watch the first of a series of interviews Levelson gave about inspiring inventors: