Inventors and the French business environment (1791-1798). From the first patents to the first industrial exhibition

Abstract

The last decade of the 18th century brought changes not only in the political and social order in French history, but also in scientific advancement. Under the old regime, the issue of intellectual property protection was addressed by learned societies and the King. Interest in regulating and in codifying patent law reflected the need to motivate the French inventive spirit and the desire to counter British commercial dominance on the continent in the form of trade competition. The culmination of this was to be a show of the best products France could offer, with the latent motive to stimulate the business environment and make the country an industrially competitive area in continental Europe.