The United States district courts have jurisdiction over all patent infringement suits except those brought against the U.S. government, which are litigated in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. Prior to October 1, 1982, appeals of decisions in patent cases were heard by the United States courts of appeals, and appeals of the PTO's administrative decisions were heard by the Court of Customs and Patent Appeals (CCPA). The Federal Courts Improvement Act of 1982 combined both of these functions in a single court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which has nationwide jurisdiction to hear appeals of patent decisions. Appeals of the Federal Circuit's decisions may be heard by the Supreme Court of the United States.
The sources listed here deal specifically with patent law. Patent cases are also published in the federal and Supreme Court reporters, which can be found in the U.S. Reference section of the library and on LexisNexis and Westlaw (ALL-FEDS).
The United States Patents Quarterly. [Looseleaf Collection KF 2975 .A2 U54. Also available on Westlaw (USPQ).]
Reports of intellectual property cases from 1929 to the present, with cumulative and annual digests. Published by the Bureau of National Affairs.
Federal Circuit Guide (Vol. 11-17 of Chisum on Patents). [General Collections KF 3114 .C47. Also available on LexisNexis (CHISUM).]
A guide to over 2,000 patent decisions from October 1982 to December 2007, arranged by topic.
Patent Law Digest [Available on LexisNexis (PATENT;PATLWD).]
An update to the Federal Circuit Guide including coverage of patent cases from 2007 to 2009.
Patents and the Federal Circuit (10th ed., 2011). [General Collections KF 3114 .H347 2011]
A single-volume work covering every patent decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Updated annually.
Decisions of the Commissioner of Patents and of the United States Courts in Patent and Trademark Cases [Available on HeinOnline]
A collection of patent decisions from 1869 to 1968.