Jerome H. Lemelson

Jerome H. Lemelson (born July 18, 1923 Staten Island, New York, died October 1, 1997) was an American inventor and patent holder who was famous for his use of submarine patents to extract over one billion dollars from major corporations in a variety of industries.

In 2004, Lemelson's estate was defeated in a notable court case involving Cognex Corporation, which sought (and received) a ruling that Lemelson's machine vision patents were unenforceable.

The Lemelson-MIT Prize, endowed in 1994 by Jerome Lemelson is awarded to inventors from the United States for outstanding achievement. The winner receives $500,000, making it the largest invention prize.

External links

• The Lemelson Foundation official web site
• Biography on The Lemelson Foundation official web site