Supreme Court Will Review Government Patent Challenge Case

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to determine whether government entities can use a special patent review procedure that Congress created in 2011.

The high court Oct. 26 granted a petition for review by automated mail services provider Return Mail Inc., which had sued the U.S. Postal Service for infringing its patent.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit said the Postal Service could use an administrative procedure known as covered business method review to attack Return Mail’s patent, which relates to processing undeliverable mail.

The Supreme Court will address whether the Postal Service is a “person” that ...