2. The constitution of the United States, art. 1, s. 8, gives power to congress "to promote the progress of science and the useful arts by securing, for Iimited times, to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries." The inventor of a machine has the right to it exclusively at common law, and the author a right to his manuscript. But they may abandon the, right by publishing the book without having secured a copy-right, (q. v.) or by using publicly the machine, and suffering others to use it, without having obtained a patent. (q. v.) Vide Secret.