The latest decision was handed down on June 2, 2014, in the case of Limelight Networks, Inc v. Akamai Technologies, Inc. Justice Alito wrote unanimous opinion of the Court stating that a defendant is not liable for inducing patent infringement when there has been no direct infringement. Without going into the details of the case, the opinion seems to confirm common sense (not always the case for legal opinion): there should be no crime if the actual act did not happen; the thought or the plan to commit a crime is not a substitute for the crime. Of course, I understand that patent law is in the realm of civil cases….
Full Text of the opinion is available at http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/13pdf/12-786_664d.pdf