Authority for the patent law of the United States is established by Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution, which provides that "Congress shall have Power ... to promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries."
The current patent law was enacted by the Patent Act of 1952. This law, along with its subsequent amendments, is codified in Title 35 of the United States Code (USC). The official print edition of the USC, as well as the unofficial annotated versions (United States Code Service and United States Code Annotated), can be found in the U.S. Reference section on the first floor of the library. Electronic versions are available through the following sources:
The following is a list of previous patent acts, along with their Statutes at Large citations. The print edition of the United States Statutes at Large is located on the fourth floor of the library (US Documents AE 2.111). The citations are to volume and page number.
The House Judiciary Committee hearing on the Patent Act of 1952 is available on ProQuest Congressional. Excerpts from previous patent acts and selected legislative history can also be found in Volume 9 of Chisum on Patents (see "Secondary Sources," this guide). For further guidance, see our Federal Legislative History Research guide.