2002: United States, in the Supreme Court case Madey v. Duke
Court found that, since the “business” of Duke University was research and teaching, there was
no exemption from patent infringement in its research, as the use of the patented invention
was in furtherance of that business.
In the past, however, the courts have generally recognized some scope for “making or using of a patented invention merely for experimental purposes, without any intent to derive profits or practical advantage… .” Madey v. Duke essentially ended this informal research exemption.
EU
In most of Europe, exemptions exist for acts performed privately, for purposes that are noncommercial, and for experimentation on the subject matter of the invention, even for commercial purposes.