Patent Act of 1790 Background

The United States patent legislation system certainly did not surface overnight. In fact, federal patent lawInternational Patent LawAn Act to promote the progress of useful Arts, it was enacted into law on April 10th, 1790. The bill was signed by President George Washington, which would essentially become the structure on which current United States patent laws are built on today. Furthermore, the Patent Act of 1790 would prove to be historic because it would be the first time that the law in the United States would grant inventors specific rights to their inventions and creations.

Even though states had implemented certain patent systems, the Act of 1790 would provide for a national infrastructure recognizing those rights. The new law would also implement an administrative office charged with the responsibility of governing patents. The board consisted of the Secretary of State, the Secretary of War, and the Attorney General. This would comprise the first Patent Board of the United States, which surely influenced the creation of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.