Procuring Promising Provisions: the British Patent System and the Navy Proviso, 1794–1831
研究了1794年英国海军条款的起源、实施及目标技术，发现国家通过该条款在战时获取关键后勤与作战技术，可能促进了技术变革和知识传播。
Abstract In 1794, the British State intervened in the patent system by introducing the Navy proviso, a legal proviso targeted at select patents compelling the patentee to supply their invention to the State on terms set by state-appointed adjudicators. This study employs new patent and archival data to examine the proviso’s origins, administration, and which technologies it was targeted at. Our findings reveal the state targeted technologies to enhance logistical and operational capacities during wartime, addressing potential undersupply in private markets. Functioning similarly to patent buyouts and compulsory licensing, the proviso may have encouraged technical change and knowledge dissemination.