Inventors Deserve Equal Share

Alfred Nobel: The whole of my remaining realizable estate shall be dealt with in the following way: the capital, invested in safe securities by my executors, shall constitute a fund, the interest on which shall be annually distributed in the form of prizes to those who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit to mankind

Have you ever wondered to whom Alfred Nobel’s Prize is awarded?

Alfred Nobel dictated that his entire remaining estate should be used to endow “prizes to those who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit to mankind”

Who do you believe grants the best benefit to the humanity? Researchers? Discoverers? Teachers? Engineers?

How about the inventors?

Isn’t it right that the active imagination of Edison led us out of darkness? Isn’t it right that humanity conquered the barriers of distance by the emergence of telephone and computers, internet, video chatting? Have you ever thought to whom you owe all of the enjoyment you gain from playing video games? Would it be possible to travel long distances without all of the transportation means? The words fall short against such immense accomplishments achieved by the inventors throughout history which have paved the way for our convenient and desirable kind of life.

Today the unequal distribution of Alfred Nobel’s prize has been the target of complaint among the inventors all around the world. The great minds gathered in IFIA international congress held in Sweden, Stockholm from August 25 to 26 to voice their concerns.

The disappointing fact is that the balance of awarding Nobel Prize between an inventor and a researcher is so heavily weighted towards the researcher that the inventor rarely comes out with a favorable share.

Talking statistically, 80 percent of Nobel Prize is granted to the researchers while a minor 20% is devoted to the inventors. Who is to blame? Alfred Nobel? Of course not. He has not drawn any distinction between them. In his will, the laureates are the researchers and inventors without placing a higher value on one of them. To further illuminate this fact, let’s take a look at an excerpt of his will:

“The whole of my remaining realizable estate shall be dealt with in the following way: the capital, invested in safe securities by my executors, shall constitute a fund, the interest on which shall be annually distributed in the form of prizes to those who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit to mankind. The said interest shall be divided into five equal parts, which shall be apportioned as follows: one part to the person who shall have made the most important discovery or invention within the field of physics; one part to the person who shall have made the most important chemical discovery or improvement; one part to the person who shall have made the most important discovery within the domain of physiology or medicine; one part to the person who shall have produced in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction; and one part to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.

So, who is to solve the ongoing injustice? We, as the International Federation of Inventors association and the representative of our members urge the executers of Alfred Nobel Foundation to work out this problem and endow the Nobel Prize equally.