Case Status

LABORATORY CORP. OF AMERICA v. METABOLITE LABORATORIES, ET AL. (52501)

    Order dated: 02/28/05
    Docket number: 04-607
    Action:
        The Acting Solicitor General is invited to file a brief in this case expressing the views of the United States limited to the following question: Respondent’s patent claims a method for detecting a form of vitamin B deficiency, which focuses upon a correlation in the human body between elevated levels of certain amino acids and deficient levels of vitamin B. The method consists of the following: First, measure the level of the relevant amino acids using any device, whether the device is, or is not, patented; second, notice whether the amino acid level is elevated and, if so, conclude that a vitamin B deficiency exists. Is the patent invalid because one cannot patent “laws of nature, natural phenomena, and abstract ideas”? Diamond v. Diehr, 450 U.S. 175, 185 (1981).

LABORATORY CORP. OF AMERICA v. METABOLITE LABORATORIES, ET AL. (52501)

    Order dated: 10/31/05
    Docket number: 04-607
    Action:
        The petition for a writ of certiorari is granted limited to Question 3 presented by the petition.

LABORATORY CORP. OF AMERICA v. METABOLITE LABORATORIES, ET AL. (52501)

    Order dated: 11/02/05
    Docket number: 04-607
    Action:
        Having been advised by the Chief Justice that he now realizes that he should have recused himself from participation in this case, and does now recuse himself, the Court vacates its order of Monday, October 31, 2005. The Court has reconsidered the petition for certiorari, which is granted but limited to question three as presented in the petition. The Chief Justice has not participated in the vote to withdraw the order of October 31, 2005 or in the instant reconsideration of the petition for certiorari.