Whitney receives the initial patent for his cotton gin. This legally establishes his claim to the invention.

Despite the patent, illegal copies of the cotton gin proliferate throughout the South. Enforcement proves extremely difficult due to the vast geographic area and local sentiment favoring the widespread use of the machine.

Whitney and his partner spend considerable time and resources pursuing legal action against infringers. However, these lawsuits are largely unsuccessful and financially draining.

Efforts were made to solidify the patent rights of the cotton gin. Infringement continued to be a problem