Legal Definitions - Patent Act of 1836

Definition: The Patent Act of 1836 was a law in the United States that gave the Patent Office the responsibility of reviewing patent applications to determine if they were new and useful. This law also required patent applications to include claims.

Example: Before the Patent Act of 1836, people could get a patent just by submitting a description of their invention. This meant that some people were getting patents for things that were not really new or useful. For example, someone might get a patent for a machine that was already being used in another country. The Patent Act of 1836 changed this by requiring the Patent Office to review each application and make sure the invention was truly new and useful.

Explanation: The example illustrates how the Patent Act of 1836 helped to ensure that patents were only granted for truly new and useful inventions. By requiring the Patent Office to review each application, the law helped to prevent people from getting patents for things that were not really new or useful. This helped to encourage innovation and protect inventors' rights.