Patents have been around since recorded time. As far back as 500B.C, it was recorded that inventors of luxurious items had the span of one year to register their invention and sell it without competition in order to encourage the production of these luxuries. It may not have been called a patent yet, but basically the principle was the same.

However, in 1449 King Henry VI signed off on the very first patent with an actual  license of to John of Utynam for a span of 20 years for inventing how to the make colored glass and bring it to England.

Patents have been used since man has been around. Usually they were given out in order to encourage business men or people to bring their new products into a region in order to increase its power or show that that area was unique and strong. The more unique items a place had, the better their export business would be.