Athenaeus describes the most ancient intellectual property

Inventors seek ownership of intellectual property (for example, in the form of modern patents) to protect their inventions against copying, and – for protection of their personal investment in innovation – so do entrepreneurs. Modern patents may be awarded to an inventor and confer on him a monopoly for a limited time, enforced by the state in exchange for disclosure of the invention (Fenning, 1929). This form of patent is different from earlier forms of protection of innovation; for example, in letters patent and monopolies awarded to royal favorites in England (May, 2002), rewarding political loyalty or transplanting existing intellectual property from one jurisdiction to another (Bugbee, 1967; Kingston, 2010). There is a distinction between invention of intellectual property (which is useful) and using a previously invented intellectual property to develop an industry, often in a new jurisdiction (which is valuable). Both have been separately rewarded by states in the past. The difference between them can be illustrated by the development of methods using steam for the processing and preservation of food, which culminated in modern bottling and canning, hugely important processes. Denis Papin (1647–c.1713) was a dedicated scientist, pupil and experimental collaborator of Robert Boyle (1627–1691), the physicist and founder of modern chemistry. Papin’s experiments with energy, gas expansion and contraction contributed to the development of ideas related to the steam engine. Papin also invented a process which, rather than contributing to pure physics, preserved food using steam and high pressure. He gave this invention to the world in the vulgar tongue of English, rather than the usual Latin (Papin, 1681), but it was largely ignored. In stark contrast, widespread success was achieved by a similar process invented by a shopkeeper, Nicolas Appert (1749–1841) (1812), unaware of Papin’s gift to the world. Instead of immediately publishing, Appert spent many years developing products in the organic development of his business, responding to customers and distributing samples widely, including to Napoleon’s ministers and a range of committees, professional societies, and admirals (Appert, 1812). It is the modern custom to recognize the inventor, in this case Papin, but neglect the one who made a process work. Interestingly, patents were not important to the early development of bottling and canning, Papin denying the whole idea (Papin, 1681) and Appert initially protected his process by secrecy (Appert, 1812). His successor in the House of Appert eventually partially protected its processes with minor patents for a steam gauge and pressure retort (Bitting, 1937).