Supreme Court of the United States · Official docket →
United Services Automobile Association v. PNC Bank N.A.
Paid petition · United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, No. 2023-1639, 2023-1866, 2025-1276, 2025-1341
Before the decision, about 2.2× the 4.1% base rate. The model weighted this up for counsel who has won certiorari before and a Federal Circuit decision below, and down for a business respondent.
Questions presented
Congress has authorized inventors to patent “any new and useful process,” or “any new and useful improvement thereof.” 35 U.S.C. § 101. This Court has read § 101 to include an implicit exception that bars patenting an “abstract idea.” The questions presented are:
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Whether the Federal Circuit has wrongly extended the prohibition on patenting an “abstract idea”—such as mathematical formulae, fundamental economic practices, or methods of organizing human activity—to also prohibit patenting concrete technological processes.
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Whether the Federal Circuit has wrongly held that, as a matter of law, a computer-implemented technological invention is patent-eligible only if it claims improvements to computer functionality itself.
Counsel of record
For petitioner
William McGinley Jay
Goodwin Procter, LLP
For respondent
Mark Christopher Fleming
WilmerHale
Proceedings
- May 18 2026Petition DENIED. Justice Alito took no part in the consideration or decision of this petition.
- Apr 22 2026DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 5/14/2026.
- Apr 21 2026Reply of petitioner United Services Automobile Association filed. (Distributed)
- Apr 08 2026Brief of respondent PNC Bank N.A. in opposition filed.
- Mar 02 2026Brief amicus curiae of American Intellectual Property Law Association filed.
- Feb 12 2026Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including April 8, 2026.
- Feb 11 2026Motion to extend the time to file a response from March 2, 2026 to April 8, 2026, submitted to The Clerk.
- Jan 29 2026Response Requested. (Due March 2, 2026)
- Jan 21 2026DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 2/20/2026.
- Jan 20 2026Waiver of right of respondent PNC Bank N.A. to respond filed.
- Jan 14 2026Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due February 17, 2026)
- Dec 05 2025Application (25A659) granted by The Chief Justice extending the time to file until January 14, 2026.
- Dec 01 2025Application (25A659) to extend the time to file a petition for a writ of certiorari from December 15, 2025 to January 14, 2026, submitted to The Chief Justice.