Procuring Promising Provisions: the British Patent System and the Navy Proviso, 1794–1831

Stephen D Billington and Joe Lane

European Review of Economic History, 2026, vol. 30, issue 1, 79-108

Abstract: In 1794, the British State intervened in the patent system by introducing the Navy proviso, a legal proviso targeted at select patents compelling the patentee to supply their invention to the State on terms set by state-appointed adjudicators. This study employs new patent and archival data to examine the proviso’s origins, administration, and which technologies it was targeted at. Our findings reveal the state targeted technologies to enhance logistical and operational capacities during wartime, addressing potential undersupply in private markets. Functioning similarly to patent buyouts and compulsory licensing, the proviso may have encouraged technical change and knowledge dissemination.

Date: 2026
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