United States. Patent Office

Used as an author credit on many public-domain volumes, United States. Patent Office refers to the federal office that handled the nation's patent system before it became today's United States Patent and Trademark Office. The office traces its roots to the early years of the republic, and its modern successor serves as the national authority for patents and trademarks in the United States.

Books and serials published under this name include annual reports, official gazettes, patent indexes, and other reference works. These publications were created to record inventions, organize technical knowledge, and make patent information available to inventors, lawyers, businesses, and the public.

For readers today, works credited to the Patent Office offer a window into the history of innovation in the United States. They are especially valuable for anyone interested in old inventions, industrial history, government records, or the development of intellectual property law.