Knowledge, Patents, Power offers a sophisticated analysis of patenting practices in the early modern Dutch Republic and their detailed legal framework, as well as the uses of expert knowledge not only in producing inventions but in evaluating them for patent purposes.

Acknowledgements List of Figures and Tables Introduction  Preliminary  Scope and objectives  Outline 1 Inventing a System  The Dutch Revolt: Setting the stage  Patents in the Habsburg Netherlands  The political organization of the Dutch Republic  Patents amidst constitutional confusion  Conclusions 2 Administrative Practices  The application process  Examinations and rewards  Areas of usage: war, trade and industry  Conclusions 3. Legitimate Monopolies  Historical backgrounds  Privileges as a legal instrument  Experimental practices  Conclusions 4. Merchants of Ideas  The dawn of projects  Venture capital  The applicants  Costumers and clients  Conclusions 5 The Circulation of Knowledge  Inventions and discoveries  Novelties and imitation  Competition and friendly exchange  Notions of efficiency  Conclusions 6. Conclusions: A Dutch Republic of Patents  Patents and the production of knowledge  Republican patents  The aftereffects Bibliography Index