Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/11pdf/10-1150.pdf
Page Number: 28.0

24  MAYO COLLABORATIVE SERVICES v. PROMETHEUS 

LABORATORIES, INC. 
Opinion of the Court 

Hovenkamp, Creation without Restraint, at 98–100. 

In consequence, we must hesitate before departing from
established  general  legal  rules  lest  a  new  protective  rule 
that  seems  to  suit  the  needs  of  one  field  produce  unfore­
seen results in another.  And we must recognize the role of 
Congress  in  crafting  more  finely  tailored  rules  where 
necessary.    Cf.  35  U. S. C.  §§161–164  (special  rules  for 
plant  patents).    We  need  not  determine  here  whether, 
from  a  policy  perspective,  increased  protection  for  discov­
eries of diagnostic laws of nature is desirable. 

* 

* 
For these reasons, we conclude that the patent claims at
issue here effectively claim the underlying laws of nature
themselves.  The claims are consequently invalid.  And the 
Federal Circuit’s judgment is reversed. 

* 

It is so ordered.