Task: songer_typeiss

What follows is an opinion from a United States Court of Appeals.
Your task is to determine the general category of issues discussed in the opinion of the court. Choose among the following categories. Criminal and prisioner petitions- includes appeals of conviction, petitions for post conviction relief, habeas corpus petitions, and other prisoner petitions which challenge the validity of the conviction or the sentence or the validity of continued confinement. Civil - Government - these will include appeals from administrative agencies (e.g., OSHA,FDA), the decisions of administrative law judges, or the decisions of independent regulatory agencies (e.g., NLRB, FCC,SEC). The focus in administrative law is usually on procedural principles that apply to administrative agencies as they affect private interests, primarily through rulemaking and adjudication. Tort actions against the government, including petitions by prisoners which challenge the conditions of their confinement or which seek damages for torts committed by prion officials or by police fit in this category. In addition, this category will include suits over taxes and claims for benefits from government. Diversity of Citizenship - civil cases involving disputes between citizens of different states (remember that businesses have state citizenship). These cases will always involve the application of state or local law. If the case is centrally concerned with the application or interpretation of federal law then it is not a diversity case. Civil Disputes - Private - includes all civil cases that do not fit in any of the above categories. The opposing litigants will be individuals, businesses or groups.

SPARKS, Circuit Judge.
This action in equity was instituted by appellants on October 4, 1929. They alleged that they were all residents of Illinois, and were the equitable owners of United States Patent to Robinson, No. 886,-541. The patent issued on May 5, 1908. It expired in May, 1925, and Robinson died in December, 1925. Plaintiffs aver that they represent a class of 2,000 other joint equitable owners. They charge the American Car and Foundry Company with infringement of the patent, and demand an accounting for profits and damages resulting therefrom. The bill makes many others parties defendant, including the widow, as administratrix, of the patentee, and alleges that the defendants, aside from the Company, are claiming an unfounded title or interest adverse to that of plaintiffs, and they ask that plaintiffs' title be declared valid and that they be awarded damages for infringement.
The defendants, other than the Company, "answered, alleging valid adverse interests, and admitting their residence' to be in Illinois. However, they agree with plaintiffs that the Company has infringed the patent, and .they all urge that the question of infringement be first adjudicated, and that the many conflicting interests of alleged title owners be subsequently determined.
On motion of the American Car and Foundry Company, the court dismissed, the bill of complaint for want of jurisdiction, holding that plaintiffs lacked title to the patent, and were without power or capacity to maintain a suit for infringement. From this decree this appeal is prosecuted.
It is clear that if the court’s ruling was sound with respect to the question of who may bring suit for infringement, the issue with respect to the adverse title between plaintiffs and the claiming defendants could not proceed because there was a lack of diverse citizenship of the parties.
The questions here presented were before us in Kulesza v. Blair, 7 Cir., 70 F.2d 505, where the nature of appellants’ alleged title is fully set forth, and we decided them adversely to appellants’ contentions here. True, some evidence was taken in that case, but the allegations here are the equivalent of the facts presented there, and they constitute no basis for establishing title sufficient to maintain the suit within the purview of Sections 4919 and 4898 of the Revised Statutes, 35 U.S.C.A. §§ 67, 47.
The decree here is affirmed on the authority of the Kulesza case, supra.

Question: What is the general category of issues discussed in the opinion of the court?
A. criminal and prisoner petitions
B. civil - government
C. diversity of citizenship
D. civil - private
E. other, not applicable
F. not ascertained
Answer:

Answer: D