One of Agora's earliest and most lasting innovations was the Patent Title, simply a title that can be awarded to a person in recognition of eir qualities or deeds. Some Patent Titles are defined by the rules, to be awarded in specific circumstances; others are devised and awarded on an ad hoc basis. Some titles that used to be rule-defined are not defined any longer, and are now tracked as ad hoc titles. The Herald maintains a record of current and historical patent title awards.
A particularly noteworthy patent title is "Scamster", awarded to those who show particular skill in the perpetration of scams. It was first awarded to Waggie, author of the WalrusScam.
Initially the rule on patent titles said that "the person in question shall be known to all Players by that Patent Title". Consequently, in all manner of contexts, including official reports, players' names were prefixed with their titles. This became cumbersome for those who held multiple titles. For a time there was a patent title of "Most Titled", held by whichever player had the most patent titles, leading to KoJen?'s formal address "Most Titled Champion Champion*7/6 Marxist KoJen?". The "Most Titled" title was later abolished, and so was the obligation to use patent titles when referring to players.