First Auto Patent Granted: Selden Sparks the Motor Age
George Selden filed a patent for a 'road engine' in 1879 and strategically delayed its issuance until November 5, 1895, extending his monopoly through the era when automobiles actually became viable. The patent covered any self-propelled vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine. The Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers enforced it by collecting royalties from every car manufacturer in America. Henry Ford refused to pay. The resulting eight-year legal battle ended in 1911 when a court ruled Selden's patent covered only vehicles using the specific Brayton engine he described, not the Otto-cycle engines every manufacturer actually used. Ford won, and the auto industry was freed from licensing fees. The case established that narrow patent claims couldn't be used to monopolize an entire technology.
November 5, 1895
131 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on November 5
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