Justices Reject Divisive Patent Eligibility Driveshaft Case (1)

The US Supreme Court again declined to revisit when an invention is eligible for a patent Thursday, leaving judges and attorneys to wait longer for clarity on an issue that has “bitterly divided” the nation’s top appeals court for patent disputes.

The justices have now passed up dozens of opportunities to address patent eligibility law since the high court’s 2014 decision in Alice Corp v. CLS Bank International.

This denial marks the second time they have bucked the US solicitor general’s recommendation to help resolve the patent-eligibility muddle. In December 2019, the justices also disregarded the government’s suggestion to ...