This research guide investigates the historical development of British patent law through the lens of parliamentary records spanning from the early seventeenth century to 1976. Phillip Michael Johnson, a legal scholar, compiles an exhaustive record of legislative activity to provide a definitive reference for the evolution of intellectual property regulation prior to the implementation of the European Patent Convention. The text serves as a primary resource for tracing the transition of patent law from early parliamentary petitions to the structured framework established by the Patents Act 1977.

Legal historians and researchers identify this work as a foundational reference for navigating the complexities of historical British intellectual property legislation. The text is noted for its meticulous organization and its utility in locating obscure parliamentary records that shaped the modern patent system.