INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CASES FROM
THE “GOLDEN AGE OF IP”IN THE U.S. SUPREME COURT
Patents and Trade Secrets
1980’s

Diamond v. Chakrabarty, 447 U.S. 303 (1980) (patentability of man-made, live
microorganisms).

Dawson Chemical Co. v. Rohm & Haas Co., 448 U.S. 176 (1980) (extension of exclusive
patent rights to non-staple goods).

Diamond v. Diehr, 450 U.S. 175 (1981) (patentability of computer software).

GM Corp. v. Devex Corp., 461 U.S. 648 (1983) (prejudgment interest on patent
infringement).

Ruckelshaus v. Monsanto Co., 467 U.S. 986 (1984) (compensation for government use
of agrochemical trade secrets).

Christianson v. Colt Industrial Operating Group, 486 U.S. 800 (1988) (federal question
jurisdiction over trade secrets).

Bonito Boats, Inc. v. Thunder Craft Boats, Inc., 489 U.S. 141 (1989) (state law preemption).
1990’s

Eli Lilly & Co. v. Medtronic, 496 U.S. 661 (1990) (federal patent law pre-empting FDCA).

Markman v. Westview Instruments, Inc., 517 U.S. 370 (1996) (interpretation of patent
claims as matter of law or of fact).

Warner-Jenkinson Co. v. Hilton Davis Chemical Co., 520 U.S. 17 (1997) (doctrine of
equivalents).

Pfaff v. Wells Electronics, Inc., 525 U.S. 55 (1998) (definition of “on sale”).

Fla. Prepaid Postsecondary Educ. Expense Bd. v. College Sav. Bank, 527 U.S. 627
(1999) (state sovereign immunity).
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2000’s

Traffix Devices v. Mktg. Displays, 532 U.S. 23 (2001) (trade dress protection).

J.E.M. Ag Supply, Inc. v. Pioneer Hi-Bred Int'l, Inc., 534 U.S. 124 (2001) (utility patents
for plants).

Festo Corp. v. Shoketsu Kinzoku Kogyu Kabushiki Co., 535 U.S. 722 (2002) (doctrine of
equivalents).

Holmes Group, Inc. v. Vornado Air Circulation Sys., 535 U.S. 826 (2002) (federal
jurisdiction).

Merck KGaA v. Integra Lifesciences I, Ltd., 545 U.S.193 (2005) (FDA research
exemption).

EBay Inc. v. MercExchange, L.L.C., 547 U.S. 388 (2006) (injunctions).

Illinois Tool Works Inc. v. Independent Ink, Inc., 547 U.S. 28 (2006) (Sherman Act “tying”
of patented products).

KSR Int’l Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398 (2007) (obviousness of patent claims).

MedImmune, Inc. v. Genentech, Inc., 549 U.S. 118 (2007) (rights of licensing patentee).

Microsoft Corp. v. AT&T Corp., 550 U.S. 437 (2007) (copying of components made in
foreign countries).

Quanta Computer, Inc. v. LG Electronics, Inc., 553 U.S. 617 (2008) (patent exhaustion).
2010’s

Bilski v. Kappos, 561 U.S. 593 (2010) (subject-matter patentability over processes).

Microsoft Corp. v. i4i Ltd. Partnership, 564 U.S. 91 (2011) (validity of patent-inreexamination).

Global-Tech Appliances, Inc. v. SEB S.A., 563 U.S. 754 (2011) (induced patent
infringement).

Bd. of Trs. v. Roche Molecular Sys., 563 U.S. 776 (2011) (“invention of the contractor”
and assignment).
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
Mayo Collaborative Svcs. v. Prometheus Laboratories, Inc., 566 U.S. (2012)
(patentability of drug administration method).

Kappos v. Hyatt, 132 S. Ct. 1690 (2012) (evidentiary issues in Section 145 proceedings).

Gunn v. Minton, 133 S.Ct. 1059 (2013) (federal jurisdiction of malpractice claim based
on patent infringement suit).

Bowman v. Monsanto Co., 569 U.S. ___, 133 S. Ct. 1761 (2013) (patent exhaustion
doctrine, patented seeds).

Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics, 569 U.S. ___ , 133 S. Ct. 2107
(2013) (patentability of gene sequence).

FTC v. Actavis, Inc., 133 S. Ct. 2223 (2013) (antitrust issues surrounding patent
monopoly).

Alice Corp. Pty. Ltd. v. CLS Bank Intl., 573 U. S. ____ (2014) (patentability of business
methods).

Medtronic, Inc. v. Mirowski Family Ventures, LLC, 134 S. Ct. 843 (2013) (burden of
proof).

Octane Fitness, LLC v. ICON Health & Fitness, Inc., 134 S. Ct. 1749 (2014) (attorney’s
fees).

Limelight Networks, Inc. v. Akamai Techs., Inc., 134 S. Ct. 2111 (2014) (liability for
inducing infringement).

Nautilus, Inc. v. Biosig Instruments, Inc., 134 S. Ct. 2120 (2014) (definiteness
requirement).

Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inv. v. Sandoz, Inc., 135 S. Ct. 831 (2015) (standard of
review).

Kimble v. Marvel Entertainment, LLC, 576 U.S. __, 135 S. Ct. 2401 (2015) (royalties on
expired patents).

Commil USA, LLC v. Cisco Sys.135 S. Ct. 1920 (2015) (patent invalidity as defense).
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Pending Cases

Cuozzo Speed Technologies, LLC v. Lee, No. 15-446 (inter partes review before PTAB).

Halo v. Pulse, Stryker v. Zimmer, Nos. 14-1513 and 14-1520 (enhanced patent
infringement damages).

SCA Hygiene Products AB et al. v. First Quality Baby Products LLC et al., No. 15-927
(laches as a defense in patent cases).

Samsung Electronics Co. v. Apple, No. 15-777 (cert. granted for Oct. 2016 term) (award
of profits in design patent infringement).
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Copyright
1980’s

Sony Corp. of America v. Universal City Studios, Inc., 464 U.S. 417 (1984) (Betamax)
(fair use and secondary liability).

Mills Music, Inc. v. Snyder, 469 U.S. 153 (1985) (copyright termination, derivative works
exception).

Harper & Row, Publrs. v. Nation Enters., 471 U.S. 539 (1985) (fair use).

Community for Creative Non-Violence v. Reid, 490 U.S. 730 (1989) (work made for hire).
1990’s

Steward v. Abend, 495 U.S. 207 (1990) (derivative works).

Feist Publications, Inc. v. Rural Telephone Service Co., 499 U.S. 340 (1991) (copyright
eligibility for factual compilations).

Fogerty v. Fantasy, Inc., 510 U.S. 517 (1994) (attorney’s fees in copyright).

Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music, Inc., 510 U.S. 569 (1994) (parody fair use).

Lotus Development Corp. v. Borland Int’l, Inc., 516 U.S. 233 (1995) (software
copyrightability).

Quality King Distributors, Inc. v. L’Anza Research Int’l, Inc., 523 U.S. 135 (1998) (firstsale doctrine and reimportation).

Feltner v. Columbia Pictures Television, Inc., 523 U.S. 340 (1998) (right to jury trial).
2000’s

New York Times Co. v. Tasini, 533 U.S. 483 (2001) (republication rights to collective
works).

Eldred v. Ashcroft, 537 U.S. 186 (2003) (extension of copyright terms).

Dastar Corp. v. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp., 539 U.S. 23 (2003) (trademarking
works in public domain).
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
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. v. Grokster Ltd., 514 U.S. 913 (2005) (file-sharing,
secondary liability).
2010’s

Reed Elsevier Inc. v. Muchnick, 559 U.S. 154 (2010) (registration requirement,
procedural).

Omega S.A. v. Costco Wholesale Corp., No. 08-1423, 562 U.S. __ (2010) (first sale
doctrine).

Golan v. Holder, 565 U.S. __ , 132 S.Ct. 873 (2012) (copyright restoration, Uruguay
Round Agreements).

Kirtsaeng v. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 568 U.S. __ , 133 S. Ct. 1351 (2013) (first sale
doctrine).

Petrella v. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc., No. 12-1315, 572 U.S. __ (2014) (laches in
copyright).

ABC, Inc. v. Aereo, Inc., No. 13-461, 573 U.S. __ (2014) (public performance, timeshifting).
Pending cases

Star Athletica LLC v. Varsity Brands Inc., No. 15-866 (cert. granted for October 2016
term) (copyrightability of graphic designs on cheerleading uniforms).

Kirtsaeng v. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., No. 15-375 (attorney’s fees under Copyright Act).
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Trademark
1980’s

Inwood Laboratories, Inc. v. Ives Laboratories, Inc., 456 U.S. 844 (1982) (contributory
trademark liability).

Park N' Fly Inc. v. Dollar Park and Fly, Inc., 469 U.S. 189 (1985) (trademark
incontestability).

San Francisco Arts & Athletics, Inc. v. United States Olympic Committee, 483 U.S. 522
(1987) (First Amendment, Olympic trademark).

K Mart Corp. v. Cartier, Inc., 485 U.S. 176 (1988) (federal court jurisdiction over
international trade issues).
1990’s

Two Pesos, Inc. v. Taco Cabana, Inc., 505 U.S. 763 (1992) (Lanham Act trade dress
infringement).

Qualitex Co. v. Jacobson Products Co., Inc., 514 U.S. 159 (1995) (trademark
registrability of a distinctive color).
2000’s

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Samara Brothers, Inc., 529 U.S. 205 (2000) (unregistered trade
dress, distinctiveness).

Cooper Industries v. Leatherman Tool Group, 532 U.S. 424 (2001) (standard of review
for punitive damages, non-substantive).

TrafFix Devices, Inc. v. Marketing Displays, Inc., 532 U.S. 23 (2001) (trademark
protection for functional designs).

Moseley v. V Secret Catalogue, Inc., 537 U.S. 418 (2003) (proof of trademark dilution).

Dastar Corp. v. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp., 539 U.S. 23 (2003) (trademarking
works in public domain) (see also copyright section).

KP Permanent Make-Up, Inc. v. Lasting Impression I, Inc., 543 U.S. 111 (2004) (fair use
v. likelihood of confusion).
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2010’s

Already, LLC v. Nike, Inc., No. 11–982, 568 U. S. ____, 133 S. Ct. 721 (2013)
(covenants not to sue and mootness).

Lexmark Int’l v. Static Control Components, No. 12-873, 572 U. S. ____ (2014) (Lanham
Act false advertising standing).

Pom Wonderful LLC v. Coca-Cola Co., No. 12-761, 572 U.S. __ , 134 S. Ct. 2228 (2014)
(preclusion of Lanham Act suits by FDCA).

Hana Financial, Inc. v. Hana Bank, No. 13-1211, 574 U. S. ____ , 135 S. Ct. 907 (2015)
(tacking of older uses of trademark as jury question).

B&B Hardware, Inc. v. Hargis Industries, Inc., No. 13–352, 575 U. S. ____ , 135 S. Ct.
1293 (2015) (estoppel effect of TTAB determinations).
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