--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: That reminds me to remark, in passing…" description: "\"That reminds me to remark, in passing, that the very first official thing I did, in my administration-and it was on the first day of it, too-was to sta..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5d/mark-twain-22_administration_that-reminds-me-to-remark-in-passing-tha_1097722.png" --- # That reminds me to remark, in passing, that the very first… ![“That reminds me to remark, in passing, that the very first official thing I did, in my administration-and it was on the first day of it, too-was to start a patent office; for I knew that a country without a patent office and good patent laws was just a crab, and couldn't travel any way but…” quote by Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5d/mark-twain-22_administration_that-reminds-me-to-remark-in-passing-tha_1097722.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5d/mark-twain-22_administration_that-reminds-me-to-remark-in-passing-tha_1097722.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e5d/mark-twain-22_administration_that-reminds-me-to-remark-in-passing-tha_1097722.png) > “That reminds me to remark, in passing, that the very first official thing I did, in my administration-and it was on the first day of it, too-was to start a patent office; for I knew that a country without a patent office and good patent laws was just a crab, and couldn't travel any way but sideways or backways.” [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A functional patent system is essential for a nation’s progress; without it, innovation stalls and the country moves only sideways. **In simple terms:** Patent offices drive innovation and forward movement. Key Takeaway Establish strong patent laws early. Themes innovation law economy Mood optimistic serious Type political inspirational When to use this quote - government policy - business strategy - technology startups - academic research Key Concepts intellectual property economic development legal infrastructure Questions to Reflect On - How do patents balance protection and competition? - What reforms improve patent effectiveness? A Different Perspective Patent systems can be misused to hinder competition. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Administration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/administration/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Crabs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crabs/) [First Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-day/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Good Patent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-patent-2870382/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Office](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/office/) [Office Knew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/office-knew-2870383/) [Official Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/official-thing-2870381/) [Officials](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/officials/) [Passing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passing/) [Passings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/passings/) [Patent law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patent-law/) [Patent Office](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patent-office-387064/) [Patents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patents/) [Progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progress/) [Remarks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remarks/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) [Sideways](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sideways/) [Start Patent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/start-patent-2870380/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [A country without a patent office and good patent laws is just a crab, and can't travel any way but sideways and backways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/a-country-without-a-patent-office-and-good-patent-laws-is-just-a-crab/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Today the patent office is obsolete. You just take whatever you do, tool up, and start production for six months. At the end of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-laffoley/today-the-patent-office-is-obsolete-you-just-take-whatever-you-do/) [Paul Laffoley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-laffoley/) > [There is a patent office at the seat of government of the universe, whose managers are as much interested in the dispersion of seeds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/there-is-a-patent-office-at-the-seat-of-government-of-the-universe/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Don't stop at the first no. You have to be a risk taker. If there weren't room for creativity, the patent office would close…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbi-fields/don-t-stop-at-the-first-no-you-have-to-be-a-risk-taker-if-there-weren/) [Debbi Fields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbi-fields/) > [Great minds don't think alike. If they did, the Patent Office would only have about fifty inventions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/great-minds-don-t-think-alike-if-they-did-the-patent-office-would/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) > [Lincoln said that the Patent Office adds the flame of interest to the light of creativity. And that is why we need to improve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-inslee/lincoln-said-that-the-patent-office-adds-the-flame-of-interest-to-the/) [Jay Inslee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-inslee/) > [“Patent Law cannot afford to sit and watch while technology advancement changes its dynamics”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kalyan-c-kankanala/patent-law-cannot-afford-to-sit-and-watch-while-technology/) [Kalyan C. Kankanala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kalyan-c-kankanala/) > [Patent law holds us back, in every which way, shape or form. There is place for it, in physical products, in pharmaceuticals, but in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-cuban/patent-law-holds-us-back-in-every-which-way-shape-or-form-there-is/) [Mark Cuban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-cuban/) > [In the world's history certain inventions and discoveries occurred of peculiar value, on account of their great efficiency in facilitating all other inventions and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/in-the-world-s-history-certain-inventions-and-discoveries-occurred-of/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [While the Nation has forbidden monopoly by one set of laws it has been creating them by another. Patent laws, valuable as they may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-h-jackson/while-the-nation-has-forbidden-monopoly-by-one-set-of-laws-it-has/) [Robert H. Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-h-jackson/) > [“Patent law is a very interesting form of property,” she says. “With all other forms of property, you have ownership rights; but along with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-suzuki/patent-law-is-a-very-interesting-form-of-property-she-says-with-all/) [David Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-suzuki/) > [“Grant is the beginning of the Patent Game, not its end.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kalyan-c-kankanala/grant-is-the-beginning-of-the-patent-game-not-its-end/) [Kalyan C. Kankanala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kalyan-c-kankanala/) > [ As the commercial confrontation between \[free software\] and software-that's-a-product becomes more fierce, patent law's going to be the terrain on which a big piece… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eben-moglen/as-the-commercial-confrontation-between-free-software-and-software/) [Eben Moglen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eben-moglen/) > [The US patent system adds the fuel of interest to the fire of genius in the discovery and production of new and useful things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/the-us-patent-system-adds-the-fuel-of-interest-to-the-fire-of-genius/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [ Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. 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Nothing is above its reach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/there-is-nothing-training-can-t-cannot-do-nothing-is-above-its-reach/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [I never write Metropolis for seven cents because I can get the same price for city. I never write policeman because I can get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/i-never-write-metropolis-for-seven-cents-because-i-can-get-the-same/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [The higher animals get their teeth without pain or inconvenience. 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