Introduction - Patent Law Research Guide - LibGuides at Boston University Law Library

Introduction to Patent Law Research

Patent law allows inventors to benefit from their innovations by granting them an exclusive right to use the invention for a period of time. Federal patent law grants protection to federally registered patents, but inventors may also seek protection by registering patents for international/foreign protection.

Patent law research involves primary legal sources such as statutes, cases, and administrative law. Additionally, legislative history research can be necessary to ascertain the legislative intent behind particular statutory language.

In most instances, it is best to begin your research with a review of secondary sources and practice aids 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. Also, practice aids are helpful for learning about U.S. Patent & Trademark Office procedure and how to write patent applications.

This guide is designed to point out the best sources available for patent law research at BU. Some of the resources are free Internet sources, but many are subscription services available to members of the BU Law community. Where possible, this guide will link to other guides which can provide even more detail or resources on a particular subject.