Patent Act of 1790

E748470

The Patent Act of 1790 was the first federal patent statute in the United States, establishing a formal system for granting exclusive rights to inventors and laying the foundation of American patent law.

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Statements (49)

Predicate Object
instanceOf United States federal statute
patent law statute
administrationLocation Department of State NERFINISHED
alsoKnownAs First United States Patent Act NERFINISHED
appliedTo any useful art, manufacture, engine, machine, or device
basedOnConstitutionalClause Progress Clause of the United States Constitution NERFINISHED
constitutionalBasis Article I, Section 8, Clause 8 of the United States Constitution NERFINISHED
containedProvision penalties for patent infringement
recording of patents
requirement to file a specification with the Secretary of State
country United States of America
surface form: United States
createdBody Patent Board NERFINISHED
dateEnacted 1790-04-10
decisionMaker Patent Board NERFINISHED
didNotProvideFor design patents
plant patents
enactedBy 1st United States Congress NERFINISHED
established first federal patent system in the United States
evaluationCriterion importance of the invention
novelty of the invention
utility of the invention
firstPatentIssuedUnder patent to Samuel Hopkins for a process of making potash
foundationFor American patent law NERFINISHED
grantedRight exclusive right to make the invention
exclusive right to use the invention
exclusive right to vend the invention
historicalSignificance first statutory basis for patent protection in the United States
jurisdiction United States government
surface form: United States federal government
legalArea intellectual property law
patent law
maximumPatentTerm 14 years
patentBoardMember Attorney General of the United States NERFINISHED
Secretary of State NERFINISHED
Secretary of War NERFINISHED
providedFor issuance of letters patent under the seal of the United States
purpose to establish a formal system for granting patents in the United States
to promote the progress of useful arts
repealYear 1793
replacedBy Patent Act of 1793 NERFINISHED
requiredDisclosure description of the manner of making and using the invention
specification of the invention
requiredOath inventor had to swear to be the true inventor
requiredStandard sufficiently useful and important
scope utility patents only
shortDescription first federal patent statute in the United States
signedBy George Washington NERFINISHED
status repealed
title An Act to promote the progress of useful Arts NERFINISHED
yearEnacted 1790

Referenced by (1)

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