Parker v. Flook
437 U.S. 584 · Decided June 22, 1978 · Supreme Court of the United States
Record summary. This page is generated from the Supreme Court Database’s coded data about the case. It describes who decided what, not the Court’s reasoning. Read the opinion itself before relying on it. Not legal advice.
At a glance
Parker v. Flook was decided on June 22, 1978 by a vote of 6–3. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Justice John Paul Stevens wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Patentability of computer processes” in the Economic Activity area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 437 U.S. 584 · 98 S. Ct. 2522 · 57 L. Ed. 2d 451 · 1978 U.S. LEXIS 122
- Docket number
- 77-642
- Decided
- June 22, 1978
- Argued
- April 25, 1978
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 6–3
- Majority opinion
- John Paul Stevens
- Opinion assigned by
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Patentability of computer processes
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Legal provision
- 35 U.S.C. § 101
- Type of law
- Infrequently litigated statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Potter Stewart | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Byron R. White | Majority | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Majority | |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Dissent | |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Dissent | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Parker, Acting Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks v. Flook
SCDB identifiers: case 1977-132, docket 1977-132-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Patentability of computer processes”
- Dann v. Johnston
- Diamond v. Diehr
- Diamond v. Bradley
- Gottschalk v. Benson
- Ebay Inc. v. Mercexchange, L. L. C.
- Microsoft Corporation v. AT&T Corp.
Cases on the same legal provision: 35 U.S.C. § 101
- Diamond v. Chakrabarty
- Kewanee Oil Co. v. Bicron Corp.
- Brenner v. Manson
- J. E. M. Ag Supply, Inc. v. Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc.
Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)
- County Board of Arlington County v. Richards
- Southern Overlying Carrier Chapter of the California Dump Truck Owners Association v. Public Utilities Commission of California
- Adamo Wrecking Co. v. United States
- Pfizer Inc. v. Government of India
- Carter v. MillerLaw held unconstitutional
- Raymond Motor Transportation, Inc. v. RiceLaw held unconstitutional
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