Lear, Inc. v. Adkins
1969 United States Supreme Court case / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lear, Inc. v. Adkins, 395 U.S. 653 (1969), is a decision of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning the doctrine of licensee estoppel and holding that public interest considerations require that licensees be free to challenge the validity of possibly spurious patents under which they are licensed.[1] This entailed the overruling of Automatic Radio Mfg. Co. v. Hazeltine Research, Inc.[2] and prior cases that it had reaffirmed.
Quick Facts Lear, Inc. v. Adkins, Argued November 20–21, 1968 Decided June 16, 1969 ...
Lear, Inc. v. Adkins | |
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Argued November 20–21, 1968 Decided June 16, 1969 | |
Full case name | Lear, Incorporated v. John Adkins |
Citations | 395 U.S. 653 (more) |
Case history | |
Prior | Adkins v. Lear, Inc., 143 U.S.P.Q. 53 (Cal. Super. Ct. 1964); affirmed, 52 Cal.Rptr. 795 (Dist. App. 2d Dist. 1966); reversed, 67 Cal.2d 882, 64 Cal.Rptr. 545, 435 P.2d 321 (1967); cert. granted, 391 U.S. 912 (1968). |
Court membership | |
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Case opinions | |
Majority | Harlan, joined by Warren, Brennan, Stewart, Marshall |
Concur/dissent | Black (in part), joined by Warren, Douglas |
Concur/dissent | White (in part) |
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