Patent Act of 1790

Called An ACT to promote the Progress of Useful Arts, the Patent Act was one of the first laws passed by Congress and codified Article 1 Section 8 of the Constitution.  Patents were to last for 14 years; they were signed by the President and the Secretaries of State and the Treasury.  This was the first time in history that the inventor (and not the monarch) had the right to the fruits of their labor.  Furthermore, an examination system which set out standards was established.  

Pretty much from the beginning, the system proved unwieldy.  The process took too long, was very cumbersome, it was difficult to convene the three cabinet members to sign the patents and there were multiple disputes among inventors which needed to be sorted out.  The law was amended for the first of many times three years later.