The patent battles of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries reveal the good and the bad of the early U.S. Patent System.
Click on each title to learn more about these cases:
Howe v. Singer
When Elias Howe sued Isaac Singer for patent infringement, it started one of the largest patent battles in our nation’s history, now known as the Sewing Machine Wars.
Colt v. Massachusetts Arms Company
The Mexican war revived the languishing Colt revolver and soon everyone wanted in.
Selden v. Ford
George Selden, a seasoned patent attorney, kept his horseless carriage patent application pending for over 16 years while he waited for the automotive industry to develop. He then sued the entire automotive industry with a patent that was good for another 14 years.
McCormick v. Manny
McCormick wasn’t the first to invent the mechanical grain reaper, but he acted that way. The lawsuit was made famous by the involvement of Abraham Lincoln and Edwin Stanton.
