In re Ferguson’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

6 federal appellate · 3 district ·

Most-quoted passages

The sentences later courts lift from this opinion, ranked by how many decisions quote each — the parts of the opinion doing the work. These counts are smaller than the citation total above because most of the 19 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. “a concrete thing, consisting of parts, or of certain devices and combination of devices. This includes every mechanical device or combination of mechanical powers and devices to perform some function and produce a certain effect or result.”

   2 later decisions quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Lecat's Ventriloscope v. MT Tool & Mfg. · 771 F. Supp. 2d 1054 - BANCORP SERVICES v. Sun Life Assur. Co. of Canada

2. “Indeed, the novelty of the mathematical algorithm is not a determining factor at all. Whether the algorithm was in fact known or unknown at the time of the claimed invention, as one of the basic tools of scientific and technological work, it is treated as though it were a familiar part of the prior art.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. 771 F. Supp. 2d 1054 - BANCORP SERVICES v. Sun Life Assur. Co. of Canada

3. “Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefore, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.”

   1 later decision quote this exact passage · from the majority
   e.g. Research Corp. Technologies, Inc. v. Microsoft Corp.