October Term 2005 · Docket 04-1329
Does a patent on a component create market power for the whole product?
Illinois Tool Works argues a patent on a razor blade creates market power for the entire razor system. Independent Ink disputes this legal presumption.
Verified source milestones
- — An official oral-argument transcript was verified.
- — An official oral-argument transcript was verified.
The arguments, in order
This case may have been argued more than once. Each entry below uses that session's official transcript. Later arguments do not erase earlier ones.
Argument 1 ·
What happened at the argument
Andrew Pincus argued that illegal tying requires exploiting control over a tying product.
Justice Breyer questioned why a patent holder would seek a patent without expecting price power.
Justice Scalia asked if refuting the presumption equals demonstrating market power.
Read the official transcript for this argument · Official argument details
Sources used for this argument breakdown
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 27-37 — Transcript, file page 10, lines 27-37
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 9-21 — Transcript, file page 10, lines 9-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 20, lines 41-31 — Transcript, file page 20, lines 41-31
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-21 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 17-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-15 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 5-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 31, lines 7-39 — Transcript, file page 31, lines 7-39
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 23-31 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 23-31
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 31-41 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 31-41
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 45-1 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 45-1
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 7-11 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 7-11
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 55, lines 23-11 — Transcript, file page 55, lines 23-11
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 57, lines 13-17 — Transcript, file page 57, lines 13-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 21-29 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 21-29
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 39-47 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 39-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 60, lines 13-17 — Transcript, file page 60, lines 13-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 62, lines 25-27 — Transcript, file page 62, lines 25-27
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 23-33 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 23-33
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 49-3 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 49-3
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 5-21 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 5-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 31-35 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 31-35
A citizen's guide to the whole case
What this case is about
The case tests whether a patent on a single component legally implies market power for the larger product. Illinois Tool Works seeks to establish this presumption. Independent Ink argues the presumption is legally incorrect.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 20, lines 41-31 — Transcript, file page 20, lines 41-31
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-21 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 17-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 31, lines 7-39 — Transcript, file page 31, lines 7-39
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 55, lines 23-11 — Transcript, file page 55, lines 23-11
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 60, lines 13-17 — Transcript, file page 60, lines 13-17
How the case got here
The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on November 29, 2005.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-15 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 5-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 62, lines 25-27 — Transcript, file page 62, lines 25-27
What each side wants
Illinois Tool Works wants the Court to recognize a patent as evidence of market power for the larger product.
Independent Ink wants the Court to reject the presumption that a component patent implies market power for the whole product.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 20, lines 41-31 — Transcript, file page 20, lines 41-31
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-21 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 17-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 31, lines 7-39 — Transcript, file page 31, lines 7-39
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 55, lines 23-11 — Transcript, file page 55, lines 23-11
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 60, lines 13-17 — Transcript, file page 60, lines 13-17
What each side says
Illinois Tool Works argues that a patent on a component legally establishes market power for the entire product.
Independent Ink argues that a patent on a component does not legally establish market power for the entire product.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 20, lines 41-31 — Transcript, file page 20, lines 41-31
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-21 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 17-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 31, lines 7-39 — Transcript, file page 31, lines 7-39
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 55, lines 23-11 — Transcript, file page 55, lines 23-11
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 60, lines 13-17 — Transcript, file page 60, lines 13-17
What the justices asked
Justice O'Connor asked if a patent spreads to cover the larger product.
Justice Stevens asked if a patent generating metering implies more power than average patents.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 27-37 — Transcript, file page 10, lines 27-37
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 9-21 — Transcript, file page 10, lines 9-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 23-31 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 23-31
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 31-41 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 31-41
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 45-1 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 45-1
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 7-11 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 7-11
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 57, lines 13-17 — Transcript, file page 57, lines 13-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 21-29 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 21-29
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 39-47 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 39-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 62, lines 25-27 — Transcript, file page 62, lines 25-27
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 23-33 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 23-33
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 49-3 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 49-3
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 5-21 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 5-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 31-35 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 31-35
Why it matters
The outcome defines how courts assess market power in patent cases. It determines whether a component patent legally implies control over the entire product market. This standard affects antitrust litigation involving patented goods.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 20, lines 41-31 — Transcript, file page 20, lines 41-31
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-21 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 17-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 31, lines 7-39 — Transcript, file page 31, lines 7-39
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 55, lines 23-11 — Transcript, file page 55, lines 23-11
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 60, lines 13-17 — Transcript, file page 60, lines 13-17
What happens next
This article currently covers the argument record. Use the official docket link for later case activity.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 27-37 — Transcript, file page 10, lines 27-37
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 9-21 — Transcript, file page 10, lines 9-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-15 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 5-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 23-31 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 23-31
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 31-41 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 31-41
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 45-1 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 45-1
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 7-11 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 7-11
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 57, lines 13-17 — Transcript, file page 57, lines 13-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 21-29 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 21-29
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 39-47 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 39-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 62, lines 25-27 — Transcript, file page 62, lines 25-27
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 23-33 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 23-33
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 49-3 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 49-3
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 5-21 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 5-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 31-35 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 31-35
Official Court provenance
Official docket and case history · Official Supreme Court oral-argument detail page
Title and summary sources
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 20, lines 41-31 — Transcript, file page 20, lines 41-31
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-21 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 17-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 31, lines 7-39 — Transcript, file page 31, lines 7-39
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 55, lines 23-11 — Transcript, file page 55, lines 23-11
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 60, lines 13-17 — Transcript, file page 60, lines 13-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 20, lines 41-31 — Transcript, file page 20, lines 41-31
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-21 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 17-21
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 31, lines 7-39 — Transcript, file page 31, lines 7-39
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 55, lines 23-11 — Transcript, file page 55, lines 23-11
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 60, lines 13-17 — Transcript, file page 60, lines 13-17
Revision history
- Revision 1 · Official Transcript ·
Correction: Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.
- Revision 2 · Official Transcript ·
Correction: Migrated to the dated official Court activity contract without model use.