The principles were right then in Ancient Greece and they are today.  Prosperity flows from the values of letting a man be free to think, to analyze, to dream to have a relationship with God.  America has thrived from those principles which came from Greece.

Using those principles of scientific discovery which originated in Greece, the United States has become a technology country leading the world.  Scientific inquiry is imbedded in American life, in research and in academia.  It is a subject of discussion in many households every day.

Former Chief Justice Warren Burger wrote that Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of the Treasury in 1790 was so excited about an expected expansion of business because of the patent and copyright clause in the Constitution that he wanted to establish a national bank.

Both Thomas Jefferson and David Ramsey, biographer of the Revolution, believed that with the freedom of man to think there would be a flowering of creativity in all fields, economic, artistic, scientific and philosophically.  They firmly believed there would be an 'emergence of an American Athens with the 'spirit of freedom'.   

Their expectations are so much more than they envisioned.  Bruce Merrifield, for eight years the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Productivity, Technology and Innovation in the Reagan Administration testified before Congress that "about 90 percent of all scientific knowledge has been generated over just the last 30 years and will double against in the next 15 years..much of it here in the United States." 

Merrifield pointed out that the United States has "an historically unprecedented opportunity now to lead the entire world to accelerated economic development and increased quality of life"... because of our advanced technology.  He pointed out an astounding fact that "the United States has 15 million companies involved in every known discipline that can translate next generation technologies into useful products, processes and services."  All of this has happened because we had an example from Greece that a free inquiring mind can produce ideas which not only help man but help society.

Even the European Union wants to become part of this act.  The Wall Street Journal reported the "EU to Push Growth in Innovation, Technology."  The paper also reported about a summit to encourage greater innovation in the European societies and that the EU wanted to produce the type of boom the United States was have.  The Journal stated there is a sense of urgency that the "EU governments are now attaching to the growing technology gap with the United States."

In an earlier story the Journal also reported that European companies are locating in the U.S. to be on the cutting edge of technology and to see how innovation fares in the market.  This year the Wall Street Journal reported that "European start-ups were migrating to the U.S. seeking asylum of broader patent laws.  In fact the EU research commissioner, Philippe Busquin was quoted that "too many European companies are going to the U.S. to obtain patents."

Why complain about seeking patents in the United States if the Europeans have good ideas?  The companies are only looking for market share.  Why unless there is another reason.

The European Union has targeted the American patent system as has Japan for the United States to change its first-to-invent system which rewards the actual inventor with a patent.  The European Union uses a first-to-file system which means anyone filing an application or getting to the patent office may receive a patent, not necessarily the inventor. 

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), which is UN sponsored, is leading the talks not only to change the American system, but to harmonize all the patent systems of 72 countries.

In Greece man was recognized for his ideas.  In the United States we follow that tradition and even protect the idea of first-to-invent with a clause in the Constitution.

All the other patent systems in the world except for the Philippines reward whoever makes it to the patent office.

I cannot imagine that all 72 countries with various stages of application requirements, enforcement, laws and culture will all honor the ideas man creates.  If so then why do they have a first-to-file system except that it benefits business.

The American patent system creates the economy, generates jobs and encourages the young and old alike to reach for the stars.

     Innovation and obtaining a patent has no age limit.  There are six and seven year olds with patents and people in their eighties.  A patent is the great lottery of America.  If you have an idea apply for a patent.  It is exactly the encouragement for the freedom of the mind and using the wonderful imagination of the individual which the Greeks encouraged. 

Now foreign interests and big transnationals are working to changing that spirit of freedom to create by making it too difficult for the individual to get a patent.  I believe they need a few classes in the "Greek Way" and perhaps they would change their ways.  We can always hope.

 NOTE:          The Japanese have led a world wide initiative to destroy the U.S. patent system to make it like theirs which favors the big companies and also does not honor the ownership of an idea like the American system does.  The U.S. system is the best in the world.  We lead the world in fundamental patents which helps to determine the wealth of a country because they constitute a basic research whichmbiras64862@mypacks.net will dominate the field for many years.  The Japanese first sent someone to the U.S. Patent Office in 1886 to investigate our system because they wanted to know what made the U.S. a great economic power.  Now the Japanese have succeeded in changing the U.S. system to what is tantamount to the inferior Japanese system.  Over 50 percent of our patent examiners are Asian.  Many of them have to be taught English.  There are examiners from other countries in the world for what had been a very secure sensitive patent system.  Once the patent was issued then it was published as a teaching document to teach people but the rights of the patent owner were protected.