Intellectual Property Research

The U.S. Constitution gives Congress the authority to create patent law.

"The Congress shall have power . . . To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries . . . .

U.S. Const., art. I, § 8, cl. 8; Section 8

Patent laws are codified in title 35 of the United States Code.

Federal courts have jurisdiction over patent cases. Patent infringement lawsuits start at the U.S. District Court level, but important patent cases can also originate directly from the U.S. Patent Office. The U.S. Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority in patent law, followed by the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals. The Federal Circuit hears all appeals involving matters of patent law. 

Federal cases involving patents can be found in any of the sources you use for caselaw research: Westlaw, Lexis, Bloomberg Law. Note that your searching will usually be more efficient if you choose the topical grouping (practice area) for patents or intellectual property.

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