The Supreme Court has handed down momentous decisions over the past two decades on a variety of hot-button issues — from reproductive rights and affirmative action to campaign finance and the Affordable Care Act.
But some of the most consequential rulings — for our physical well-being, our economic vitality, and even our national security — have flown under the radar.
For years, the justices have steadily chipped away at long-standing intellectual property rights. By doing so, they’ve unintentionally stymied investment into critical industries, from medical diagnostics to artificial intelligence, that will determine our health, wealth, and security for much of the 21st century.
Take, for instance, Mayo Collaborative Services v. Prometheus Laboratories. Prometheus Labs had sued the Mayo Clinic for violating a patent on a diagnostic test for gastrointestinal disease. The…
