10 | 07 | 2023

National Day of Nikola Tesla - Day of Science, Technology and Innovation, July 10

Nikola Tesla, indisputably one of the greatest minds of technology and science of all times was born on 10 July 1856th in the village of Smiljan (Ličko-Senjska County). By the decision of the Croatian Parliament, July 10 has been declared a National day of Nikola Tesla, the day of science, technology and innovation.
 
Tesla dealt with inventions from his early childhood, having the model and support in the environment in which he lived.
 
After having finished his schooling in Karlovac, Graz and Prague, and while working in the Telegraph Office in Budapest, Tesla created many inventions in the field of turbines and telegraphy. At that period, he didn’t protect his inventions by patents.

Coming to the USA in 1884, Tesla soon realized advances of the protection of inventions by patents, a mechanism which would enable him to present his enormous scientific and technological potential, to transfer such knowledge to the public, and to “put to life” his capital inventions intended for humanity.
Tesla’s rich technological and scientific contribution resulted in 112 US patents, and several re-applications in various countries, e.g. in Great Britain and Canada.

The course of Tesla’s life shows that his first priority was to work for the welfare of humanity and to allow the use of information contained in his patents for further technological development.
Tesla knew that his achievements had been used for further development of particular technological fields, not showing intention to prohibit it.
The timelessness of his inventions became evident in the course of time. Many new fields of human technology were developed owing to Tesla’s ideas.
Development of particular branches of technology based on information contained in Tesla’s patents, as well as economic and social usability of the same can be observed.
Many people took advantage of his ideas in various ways. It was proved beyond any doubt that some of his patents were “re-invented”.
Deficiencies of patent protection system of that time made possible the infringement of Tesla’s patent right in the Marconi case, who “re-invented” a radio.
Tesla’s life and his achievements are the best example of the path starting with the idea and vision and leading over an invention to a patent. The chronology of his patents demonstrates all the advantages of the patent protection, and possible infringements of the inventor’s right conferred by a patent. 

On the occasion of the National Day of Nikola Tesla, State Intellectual Property Office of the Republic of Croatian on its official web site gives site visitors the collection of patent documents, which makes the selection of the total number of Tesla's patents with respect to the integrity of collections of national patents and original language documents.
U.S. Patents of Nikola Tesla are covering his most important inventions and are therefore presented as a complete collection. As a complement available British and Canadian patent documents are presented.
This collection contains the 112 U.S. patents, 17 British and six Canadian patents of Nikola Tesla.
Review of the Tesla’s patents was made according to the dates of their application in patent offices. Such a chronological display shows the dynamics of Tesla's work, which is reflected through patent applications, as well as an overview of the technical areas he was interested and working on, during the years.
First patent application Nikola Tesla applied in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in March 1885. After that he went on to apply and obtain patents for his inventions.
Numerous Tesla's inventions that was invented before going to the United States are not protected by a patent, as well as inventions for which Tesla, due to certain circumstances, didn't apply for the patent protection.
Different sources say different (total) number of Tesla's patents.
The territorial principle according to which it is necessary to obtain patent protection in every country where the inventor wants to protect his invention causes the possibility that for the the same invention there are more patents in various countries.
Therefore, in determining the number of patents should be distinguished whether it is counted based on the number of inventions that Tesla has patented (the first patent) or the total number of patents generated in different countries.
Older patent documents like those from Tesla time are not entirely available, and it is impossible to accurately determine the total number of its patents as not to reach the facsimile of majority of them.

Short biography of Nikola Tesla is available on the link.

Collection of Nikola Tesla patents is available on the following link.

For additional information about the collection of Nikola Tesla's patent documents contact akademija@dziv.hr.