Dutch term – Octrooi

An octrooi is a patent. Historically, octrooien were not just required to protect inventions, but also to enter into certain types of businesses, similar to what we'd call a permit today. An octrooi could also grant permission to publish a book in a certain area. Octrooien can often be found in the records of the landlords or the government. They typically describe the type of permission that is granted and name the patentee. … [Read more...]

Dutch term – Recht van Windvang

The recht van windvang is the right to catch the wind. It's a right of a windmill owner to prevent owners of neighboring properties to build high structures that interfere with the operation of the mill. … [Read more...]