Patent Law
Patent law research involves primary legal sources such as statutes, cases, regulations, and agency decisions. A compiled legislative history will be useful when you are trying to ascertain the legislative intent behind a particular patent statute.
In most instances, it is best to begin your research with a review of secondary sources such as research guides, background materials, treatises, and law review articles. Secondary sources help you frame your questions before you begin researching "the law" and often provide references to primary sources, rules, or forms.
As you continue your research, you may want to consult current awareness tools to keep current on legal developments that may affect your research.
Practice materials such as forms or patents are available in print and electronic sources. Practice aids are helpful for learning about U.S. Patent & Trademark Office procedure and how to write patent applications. The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, the federal agency which oversees patenting of inventions, provides a variety of resources for inventors.
Statutory Research
Statutory research requires searching the United States Code, then updating your research by searching for Public Laws not yet codified. Sources for patent statutes in the United States Code are listed here. See the Federal Statutory Research guide for sources of public laws.
United States Code, Title 35
Print: Law Pappas
LexisNexis: USCS - Title 35 (Patents)
Westlaw: Federal Intellectual Property - U.S. Code Annotated (FIP-USCA database)
Internet: United States Code, Title 35 via GPO Access
Internet: United States Code, Title 35 via Cornell Legal Information Institute
Legislative Histories
Chisum on Patents contains selective legislative histories and materials, such as congressional committee reports, for various patent acts.
The following compiled legislative histories for copyright acts are available at the Pappas Law Library. See the Federal Legislative History Research guide for information on how to compile a legislative history for other copyright statutes.
Legislative history, Title 35, United States Code-Patents
Print: Law MicroCompulsory Licensing of Patents: A Legislative History
Print: Law Annex Micro JK271 .M35 reel 9, fr. 0985Government Assistance to Invention and Research: A Legislative History
Print: Law Annex Micro JK271 .M35 reel 10, fr. 0431Single Court of Patent Appeals: A Legislative History
Print: Law Annex Micro JK271 .M35 reel 9, fr. 1181
Case Law Research
Specialized reporters, finding tools, and electronic sources for patent decisions are listed here. See the Federal Case Law Research guide for general federal case reporters, digests, and other case finding tools.
Reporters
The United States Patents Quarterly
Print: Law Annex KF 2975 A2 U5
Online: BNA Intellectual Property Library
Finding tools
The United States Patents Quarterly. Annual Digest.
Print: Law Annex KF 2975 A2 U51
Electronic Sources for Patent Decisions
LexisNexis: Patent Cases from Federal Courts
Westlaw: Federal Intellectual Property - Cases (FIP-CS database)
Administrative Law Research
Regulatory research requires searching the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), then updating your research with the Federal Register. Sources for patent regulations are listed here. See the Federal Administrative Law Research guide for further guidance on finding and updating federal regulations.
Code of Federal Regulations, Title 37
Print: Law Pappas
LexisNexis: Federal Register and CFR - Titles 19 and 37
Westlaw: Federal Intellectual Property - Code of Federal Regulations (FIP-CFR database)
HeinOnline: Code of Federal Regulations Title 37 (1938-present)
Internet: CFR Title 37 via GPO Access
Internet: Patent Rules via U.S. Patent & Trademark Office PDF [warning: this is a very large file]
Federal Register
Print: Law Pappas (current 6 mos.), Law Annex KF 70 A2
LexisNexis: Federal Register and CFR - Titles 19 and 37
Westlaw: Federal Intellectual Property - Federal Register (FIP-FR database)
HeinOnline: Federal Register
Internet: Federal Register via GPO Access
Agency Decisions
A person who wishes to appeal the decision of a patent examiner refusing to grant a patent may take an appeal to the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences. The Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks hears other matters by petition.
Board of Patent Appeals & Interferences
LexisNexis: USPTO Board of Patent Appeals & Interferences Decisions
Westlaw: Patent & Trademark Office Decisions (FIP-PTO database)
Internet: Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences (USPTO)The United States Patents Quarterly
Print: Law Annex KF 2975 A2 U5
Online: BNA Intellectual Property Library
Commissioner of Patents
Decisions of the Commissioner of Patents
Print: Law Annex KF 2980 .A2 (1869-1968)
LexisNexis: USPTO Commissioner of Patents and Trademark Decisions (1981-present)
Westlaw: Patent & Trademark Office Decisions (FIP-PTO database)
HeinOnline: Decisions of the Commissioner of Patents and of the United States Courts in Patent and Trademark Cases (1869-1968)The United States Patents Quarterly
Print: Law Annex KF 2975 A2 U5
Online: BNA Intellectual Property Library
Secondary Sources
Research Guide
"Federal Patent & Trademark Law", chapter 11 of Specialized Legal Research provides exhaustive coverage of patent law sources in print and electronic formats.
Print: Law Ref Desk KF 240 .S63
Background Reading
An Introduction to Patent Law
Print: Law Reserve KF3114 .M84 2006Principles of Patent Law
Print: Law Reserve KF 3114 .S34 2004Patent Law Fundamentals
Westlaw: Patent Law Fundamentals (PATLAWF database)General Information Concerning Patents
Print: Law Reference T 223 .J4 U54 (latest)
Internet: General Information Concerning Patents via USPTO
Major Treatises and Looseleaf Services
Moy's Walker on Patents
Print: Law Annex KF 3114 .M69
Westlaw: MOY-PAT databaseChisum on Patents: A Treatise on the Law of Patentability, Validity, and Infringement
Print: Law Reserve KF 3114 .C47
LexisNexis: Chisum on Patents
Finding Articles in Journals and Law Reviews
Specific sources for articles on patent law are listed here. For a detailed guide on finding legal articles, see Find Articles in Legal Journals.
LexisNexis: Intellectual Property Law Reviews
Westlaw: Federal Intellectual Property Texts and Periodicals Combined (IP-TP database)
Current Awareness
BNA's Patent, Trademark & Copyright Journal
Print: Law Looseleaf KF 2972 .P38
Online: BNA's Patent, Trademark & Copyright JournalThe United States Patents Quarterly
Print: Law Annex KF 2975 A2 U5
Online: BNA Intellectual Property Library
Practice Materials
Forms
American Jurisprudence Legal Forms (v.14B)
Print: Law Reference KF 170 .A41
Westlaw: AMJUR-LFCurrent Legal Forms, with Tax Analysis (v.2)
Print: Law Reference KF 6286 R3
LexisNexis: MATBEN;CLFTANichols' Cyclopedia of Legal Forms Annotated (v.7A)
Print: Law Reference KF 170 .N5
Westlaw: NICHOLS-LFWest's Legal Forms: Intellectual Property--Patents (v.25)
Print: Law Reference KF170 .L53
Westlaw: WEST-LF
Patent Practice Aids
How to Write a Patent Application
Print: Law Reserve KF 3114 .S54Manual Of Patent Examining Procedure
Print: Law Annex KF 3120 A39 M36
LexisNexis: Manual of Patent Examining Procedure
Westlaw: Manual of Patent Examining Procedure (FIP-MPEP database)
HeinOnline: Manual of Patent Examining Procedure (1st edition-present)
Internet: Manual of Patent Examining ProcedureManual of U.S. Patent Classification
Internet: U.S. Patent & Trademark OfficeIndex to the U.S. Patent Classification
Print: Law Reference T 223 A25
Internet: U.S. Patent & Trademark OfficeOfficial Gazette of the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office - Patent and Trademark Notices
Print: Mugar Microfilm T223A .E72 (1872-1975), T223 .A23 (1976-date).
Internet: Patent and Trademark OG Notices (1995-date)
Patent Searching
There are many sources for patent searching. Bibliographic searches allow you to search descriptive information about patents but do not provide the full-text of the patent. The full-text of the patent is the document includes the claims made in the patent, descriptive information, and any images associated with the patent. The Official Gazette lists patents issued each week.
For a guide on patent searching on the Internet, see:
Patent, Trademark, and Copyright Searching on the Internet
Print: Law Ref Desk T 210 .S53 2000
Bibliographic Search
Index of Patents Issued from the United States Patent and Trademark Office
Print: Law Annex T 223 .D3Online: U.S. Patents via Community of Science [BU only]
Internet: U.S. Patent & Trademark Office Web Patent Databases
Full Text Patents
LexisNexis: Utility, Design and Plant Patents
Westlaw: U.S. Patents Full-Text (US-PAT database)
Internet: U.S. Patent & Trademark Office Web Patent Databases
Official Gazette of the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office - Patents
Note: The U.S.P.T.O. ceased publication of the Official Gazette for Patents in print with the issue for September 24, 2002.
Print: Mugar Microfilm T223A .E72 (1872-1975), T223 .A23 (1976-2002).
Internet: eOfficial Gazette for Patents (current 52 weeks)
For Inventors
The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) web site provides a variety of resources for inventors.
First, consult General Information Concerning Patents, which explains the differences between different types of intellectual property. Frequently Asked Questions about Patents provides more details about the USPTO and the process of patenting an invention
Although only an inventor can apply for a patent, in practice you will need the assistance of an attorney registered to practice before the USPTO. The USPTO's Inventor Assistance Center can answer general questions and even assist you as you fill out forms but they cannot provide legal advice.
Page maintained by Raquel Ortiz
Last updated: April 2008