the Wright brothers sought patent protection for
their flying machine. Their disclosure contained descriptions
and drawings of their glider’s three-axis flight control system,
including wing “warping” to control roll, a rudder to control yaw
and a forward elevator to set pitch. U.S. Patent No. 821,393 was
issued to the Wright brothers in 1906, which meant no one
could use their design without getting their permission and
paying them a royalty.
Today, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner has more than 1,000 patents
granted or pending, and additional innovations that are held as
Boeing Proprietary Information, or trade secrets. Due to the
advanced, highly complex nature of this jetliner, no single patent
can capture all of its breakthrough technologies.
The Dreamliner will play an enormous role in Boeing’s
business performance for years to come, with customers having
placed 866 orders for the plane through March. Given the 787’s
technological edge, Boeing has gone to great lengths to protect its
intellectual property in this airplane—and to prevent unauthorized