Blonder-Tongue Laboratories, Inc. v. University of Illinois Foundation
402 U.S. 313 · Decided May 3, 1971 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Blonder-Tongue Laboratories, Inc. v. University of Illinois Foundation was decided on May 3, 1971 unanimously (9–0). The Court vacated the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice Byron R. White wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Patents” in the Economic Activity area. SCDB codes this decision as formally altering one or more of the Court's own precedents.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 402 U.S. 313 · 91 S. Ct. 1434 · 28 L. Ed. 2d 788 · 1971 U.S. LEXIS 119
- Docket number
- 338
- Decided
- May 3, 1971
- Argued
- January 14, 1971
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Vacated and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Majority opinion
- Byron R. White
- Opinion assigned by
- Warren E. Burger
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Patents
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Legal provision
- Estoppel
- Type of law
- Other
- Altered precedent
- Yes — formally altered the Court's precedent
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Hugo L. Black | Majority | |
| Justice William O. Douglas | Majority | |
| Justice John M. Harlan II | Majority | |
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Majority | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority |
Full case caption
Blonder-Tongue Laboratories, Inc. v. University of Illinois Foundation et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1970-095, docket 1970-095-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Patents”
- Standard Industries, Inc. v. Tigrett Industries, Inc.
- Deepsouth Packing Co., Inc. v. Laitram Corp.
- Brunette Machine Works, Ltd. v. Kockum Industries, Inc.
- Anderson's-Black Rock, Inc. v. Pavement Salvage Co., Inc.
- Lear, Inc. v. AdkinsAltered precedent
- Zenith Radio Corp. v. Hazeltine Research, Inc.
Cases on the same legal provision: Estoppel
- One Lot Emerald Cut Stones and One Ring v. United States
- Federal Power Commission v. Amerada Petroleum Corp.
- Parklane Hosiery Co., Inc. v. Shore
- Montana v. United States
- Kennedy v. Mendoza-MartinezLaw held unconstitutional
- Schweiker v. Hansen
Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)
- Lines v. Frederick
- Hickel v. Oil Shale Corp.
- Atlantic City Electric Co. v. United States
- U.S. Bulk Carriers, Inc. v. Arguelles
- Usner v. Luckenbach Overseas Corp.
- Zenith Radio Corp. v. Hazeltine Research, Inc.
Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error