Patent Act of 1952

The Patent Act of 1952 is a U.S. law that established the modern framework for patenting inventions. It clarified what could be patented, including processes, machines, and compositions of matter, and introduced the concept of non-obviousness as a requirement for patentability. The Act aimed to streamline the patent application process and enhance protections for inventors, promoting innovation by granting exclusive rights for a limited time. Overall, it balances the need to reward inventors while ensuring that the public can eventually benefit from new discoveries.