Economics

The inventor's best friend (or worst enemy) is the patent system: If you're the first to come up with an idea, it's yours. But, if somebody beat you to it, it's back to the drawing board. Learn about patents.

By Tom Harris

Companies, such as Coke, are famous for protecting their "trade secret." What exactly is a trade secret and is it any different from patents? Find out the answer to this question in this article.

On the first or second page of many books, near the copyright notice, there is often a series of numbers that go "10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1". Why are these numbers there?

Why are most national contests in the United States, void in Rhode Island? And what does "void where prohibited" mean? Also, why are these contests open only to U.S. (and sometimes Canadian) residents?

Campaign contributions are divided into "soft money and "hard money." What do these terms mean, exactly? And why has there been such a political outcry about this campaign donations in recent years?

Notations for copyrights and patents can be found on every single product you buy at the store. In this article, you can find out what copyrights and patents are, and how they differ from each other.

While compensation for the U.S. president is very generous, most people who run for the job don't do it to get rich. So how much does the position pay?

By Kristen Hall-Geisler

How does the Social Security system (in the U.S.) work? When I pay money into the system, where does my money go and where is my account kept (does some bank have the money in my account)?

The mint began producing state quarters in 1999. Learn about the schedule of state quarter minting.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

Counterfeit detector pens use special chemicals to spot a fake bill. How do they do it?

By Tracy V. Wilson

How much would all the money in the world weigh and how much would it be worth? Find out what "all the money in the world" really means.

Ever wondered why the stock exchange is valued at 15 trillion dollars, while the amount of money in the U.S. is only 6 trillion? Learn why the stock exchange can be valued higher than a nation's total financial value.

Have you ever wondered how a dollar bill changer converts your bills to change? Learn how a dollar bill changer works.

Why doesn't washing paper money cause it to disintegrate? Learn how paper bills are made to withstand excessive use (or misuse!).

Philanthropy has a whole new meaning in modern times. There are huge organizations dedicated to charity; there are gifts that are tax-deductible; there's a lot of fraud. Learn all about philanthropy.

E-commerce has exploded in the last 10 years. Find out how e-commerce works and how you can harness the potential of e-commerce, from affiliate programs to CPC links.

By Marshall Brain