Economics i need ! a primary source is an original document or artifact that comes from the period of time being studied. someone from that time period actually wrote, created, or used it. examples of primary sources include diaries, letters, oral histories, eyewitness accounts, and artifacts such as tools, clothes, and laws. laws that protect intellectual property are critical to the economy. find and read a law (a primary source) that protects intellectual property, such as patents, trademarks, or copyright laws. in the space below: identify the law you chose. explain what parts specifically protect such property. use specific quotes from the law to prove your points. consider how the language of the law is structured to be clear and concise. explain how the language used in the law protects intellectual property. cite your source.

Patent law in the US is the Patent Act. It protects new inventions and establishes the US Patent Office to accept patent applications. Its authority is from the US Constitution which says "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."

Explanation:

The other helper covered patents so I will write about the copyright laws in the US. There is a federal Copyright Act which was passed in 1976. It protects "original works of authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression, now known or later developed, from which they can be perceived, reproduced, or otherwise communicated, either directly or with the aid of a machine or device." (17 U.S.C. 102a)

The language clearly spells out how far the protection goes and in the next statement explains what categories are covered:

"Works of authorship include the following categories:

(1) literary works;

(2) musical works, including any accompanying words;

(3) dramatic works, including any accompanying music;

(4) pantomimes and choreographic works;

(5) pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works;

(6) motion pictures and other audiovisual works;

(7) sound recordings; and

(8) architectural works."

(17 U.S.C. 102a)