From the founding of the American Republic, patent policy has been recognized as being critical for the economic well-being of this country. Yet there is a real tension on where the rewards for inventing should belong: with the individual inventor or with companies that promote innovation. In 1962, for example, Senator McClellan, chair of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights, raised the possibility of introducing legislation to "restore the patent system, in at least some measure, to its traditional role of rewarding the inventor, in order the better to carry out the constitutional objective of `promoting the progress of science and useful arts.'" McClellan was worried that the rise of the corporate research establishment had caused the employer to interpose "himself between the individual inventor and the patent system, with the former appropriating the patent rights and the latter often being rewarded by nominal monetary grants or other recognition." Senator McClellan's concern remains an issue to this day. In order to reach any conclusions about this issue, it is critical that there be studies of the experiences of other nations with differing policies. Dr. Gispen, with his study of patenting policies in 20th century Germany, is examining one of the most interesting and important cases of contrasting policies. Dr. Gispen is looking specifically at the vexed relationship between German fascism and technology, specifically the policies of the Nazi regime toward inventors and industrial scientists and its efforts to steer and accelerate technological progress through social and patent legislation. To place the study in the widest possible perspective, Dr. Gispen is employing a long-term analysis covering the entire first six decades of the 20th century. He is also providing a comparative dimension, contrasting German developments with conditions in the United States and other European countries. The project's principal research technique is historical-empirical. He is analyzing both qualitative and quantitative published and unpublished sources concerning the social conditions of German inventors and the sociopolitical struggles about the reform of German intellectual property law between 1900 and 1960. The project's goal is to gain a deeper understanding of National Socialist technology policy and of the nature and evolution of Germany's technological culture during the period studied. This study will result in a better understanding of the Nazi regime's place in the historical development of modern Germany, the changing position of the German technical professions, and the strengths and weaknesses of Germany's technological culture.
