lable at ScienceDirect

World Patent Information 33 (2011) 189

Contents lists avai

World Patent Information

journal homepage: www.elsevier .com/locate/worpat in

Book review

Inventing the 21st Century, Stephen van Dulken. (2010). ISBN:978-0-7123-5802-6.

Following his earlier and successful books on ‘Inventing the 19thCentury’1 and ‘Inventing the 20th Century’2, the author here takesus through the inventions patented and/or commercialised in thefirst decade of the present century. He uses a somewhat similarformat to that of his previous books, with a description of eachinvention accompanied by information and illustrations from themost relevant patent(s) or published patent application(s). Manyinteresting aspects of the process of converting a concept intoa commercial product are also included, along with other embel-lishments that help to bring the basic inventions and products tolife for the reader. The introduction of the book covers a widerange of significant insights into the world of inventors, inventionsand patent searching, and commercialisation based on the author’sexperiences in assisting a great many people visiting the Businessand Intellectual Property Centre in the British Library, London.

In addition to the inventions highlighted in the associated exhi-bition3 in the autumn of 2010, typical other subjects amongst thefifty included in the book are:

- Nintendo’s Wii game console (e.g. EP1757343, EP1832321, andEP1832322).

- Inventions associated with the perennial problem experiencedby many railways at the time of leaf fall, when tracks becomeunsafe because of the coating of crushed leaves (e.g. a proposedlaser treatment in WO2001/32990).

1 Van Dulken S. Inventing the 19th Century. The Great Age of Victorian Inven-tions. The British Library. 2001. ISBN 0-7123-0881-4.

2 Van Dulken S. Inventing the 20th Century. 100 Inventions that Shaped theWorld. The British Library. 2000. ISBN 0-7123-0866-0.

3 The publication of this book inspired a number of events, including this exhibi-tion with the same title in the British Library, St Pancras, London, highlighting 15recent British inventions – almost all covered in the book – and separately reviewedin this issue by Jill Durdin.

doi:10.1016/j.wpi.2011.01.002

- The Segway personal transporter (e.g. US6367817), which canbe described as an intelligent two-wheeled scooter, havingcomputer microprocessors, gyroscopes, further software andbatteries. Clever technically, its widespread use around theworld has been limited by expense and by legal difficulties ofdefinition – is it a road or a pavement (sidewalk) vehicle etc?

- Apple’s iPhone incorporating an iPod, a phone and Internetcommunication (e.g. US2008/0122796 and WO2006/020304).

- Rotatable circular floors for a building – powered by windturbine and solar panels (e.g. WO2007/148192).

- An electronic supermarket trolley, using RFID tags (e.g.WO2007/002941).

- Self-cleaning glass, achieved by adding an extremely thin layerof microcrystalline titanium dioxide which absorbs UV fromdaylight, causing a photocatalytic reaction which breaks downdirt on the glass, ready to be washed off in the next shower.

As well as the high tech proposals, the book also covers somemore mundane, developments such as the eventually commercial“coffee cup sleeves” which are corrugated and promote comfortand safety (e.g. US5205473), and an anti-snoring ring for thelittle finger and including an “acupressure stimulator” (e.g.GB2405345).

Several subjects covered are more a brief review of developingtechnologies. For example in a section headed “The future of thecar?”, the author notes that electric cars initially outsold petrolvehicles (1900), but progress in electric cars was thereafter muchless significant until recent years when economic and ecologicalpressures have pushed ahead research and manufacture of electricor hybrid cars (e.g. US6364434, US2010/012407, and WO2008/114570). Developments in business method patents are anothercontinually developing area covered.

On a slightly different tack, the author brings into focus theimportance of IP in a highly successful development – the HarryPotter books, films andmerchandise – protected by copyright, trademarks, design and utility patents (e.g. US6932342 and WO2003/037460).

The book concludes with a brief summary of how the patentsystemworks, suggestions for research, some references for furtherreading and a short index.

Altogether an enjoyable, interesting read and reference. Anda reminder that in just 10 years both highly sophisticated andmore mundane, but equally useful, technology has continuedto develop apace. The author’s task was in some ways differentfrom the reviews of a century’s worth of inventions providedin his two earlier books, but he has succeeded once again.Recommended.

Michael BlackmanE-mail address: mblackmanwpi@tiscali.co.uk