"Everything that can be invented has been invented."
— Patent

January 1, 1970

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Added on April 10, 2026
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Law
Original Language: English

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Often attributed to comissioner of the U.S. Patent Office Charles H. Duell and dated 1899. Although versions of this quote/legend (sometimes with names, dates, and other details changed) are widely circulated, they appear to be a distorted expansion of the Ellsworth quote above, taken out of context. See also: Samuel Sass (1989) "A Patently False Patent Myth," in: Skeptical Inquirer, Vol. 13, Spring 1989, pg. 310-313