The U.S. Supreme Court has made many decisions about patents in the last decade, changing the way patent law works. However, these changes may not have had a big impact on how patents are granted and protected. The Supreme Court's decisions have mostly not focused on the key legal rules that make sure patents are truly innovative and have clear boundaries. Also, the way the Supreme Court writes its opinions on patent cases often lets the Federal Circuit, another court that deals with patents, ignore the changes the Supreme Court wants to make.