Legal Definitions - Patent Act of 1790

The Patent Act of 1790 was the very first law enacted in the United States specifically designed to protect new inventions. This landmark statute established a unique system where a special committee, composed of the Secretary of State, the Secretary of War, and the Attorney General, would review applications for new inventions. Their primary role was to carefully examine the invention's details, including descriptions and drawings, to decide if it was truly "sufficiently useful and important" enough to justify granting a patent. This initial rigorous examination process, however, was short-lived; it was replaced just three years later by a simpler system that primarily registered inventions without such a detailed review by a board.

• Example 1: The Improved Grain Thresher

  Imagine an inventor in 1791, Mr. Elias Thorne, developed a new machine that could separate grain from stalks much faster than traditional methods. He believed this invention would significantly improve farming efficiency across the young nation. Under the Patent Act of 1790, Mr. Thorne would submit his detailed application, including drawings and a description of his thresher, to the examining board. The board members (Secretary of State, Secretary of War, and Attorney General) would then assess whether this improved thresher was "sufficiently useful" to the agricultural economy and "important" enough to warrant a patent, based on its potential impact and novelty.

• Example 2: The Self-Propelled Water Pump

  A skilled mechanic, Ms. Clara Bell, invents a pump in 1792 that uses a novel mechanism to draw water from wells without constant manual operation, making it easier to supply water to homes and small workshops. Ms. Bell's application, detailing her self-propelled water pump, would go before the same examining board. They would scrutinize her specifications and drawings to determine if her invention offered a "sufficiently useful" advancement in water management and was "important" enough to the public good to be granted the exclusive rights of a patent under the 1790 Act.

• Example 3: The Enhanced Textile Loom

  In 1790, a textile manufacturer, Mr. Samuel Greene, devised a modification to existing looms that allowed for the weaving of wider fabrics more quickly, potentially boosting the nascent American textile industry. Mr. Greene would have presented his detailed plans and descriptions of his enhanced loom to the board established by the Patent Act of 1790. The board would then evaluate if this innovation was "sufficiently useful" for manufacturing and "important" for economic development, thereby deciding if it met the criteria for patent protection.