Reference

Background material that the doctrine and procedure pages rely on: the structure of the Patent Act, how the Federal Circuit reviews each kind of patent ruling, where patent disputes are actually decided, and the Supreme Court's line of patent-eligibility decisions. For definitions, see the glossary.

• Which court hears patent cases?District courts, the Federal Circuit, the Supreme Court, the ITC, the PTAB, and the Court of Federal Claims — who decides what, and where appeals go.
• The Patent Act: structure and key sectionsTitle 35 of the U.S. Code, section by section, as it operates in litigation.
• Federal Circuit standards of reviewDe novo, clear error, substantial evidence, and abuse of discretion, issue by issue.
• Supreme Court § 101 casesBenson, Flook, Chakrabarty, Diehr, Bilski, Mayo, Myriad, and Alice, in order, with holdings.
• Glossary of patent litigation termsDefinitions tied to the controlling statutes and cases.