Patent Act of 1836

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The Patent Act of 1836 established a number of important changes in the US patent system.[1] These include:

  • The examination of patent applications prior to issuing a patent. This was the first time this was done anywhere in the world. Prior to this, patents were issued on all applications, even of they were direct copies of earlier patents. It was left to the courts to decide validity in the event of a lawsuit.
  • The hiring of professional patent examiners. Initially only one examiner was hired, but soon a second one was hired to handle the increased work load.
  • The establishment of a library of prior art to assist in examinations.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Kenneth W. Dobyns, The Patent Office Pony; A History of the Early Patent Office

[edit] See also

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