A Graphic History of Patent Law

A Graphic History of Patent Law by University of Southern California

We post a lot about modern patent law issues, but sometimes it helps to take a step back and look at the bigger picture of the origins of patent law and its long, rich history.

Recently, the University of Southern California put together a helpful infographic detailing the history of patent law and highlighting some of the most interesting facts about the progression of the field of law.

For example, patent law’s history dates back to around 500 B.C., and although the constitution authorized Congress to establish the patent and copyright systems in the United States the first patent-related statute appeared in the United States in 1790.

Before America Invents Act that was passed by Congress and was signed into law by President Barack Obama on September 16, 2011 the last major overhaul of United States patent law was in the 1950s, and the result is the patent system that we are very much used to today.

This graphic can help us to understand not just the basic facts and figures surrounding the patent system, but the overall reasons that caused it to come into being. Scroll down for a detailed image.