Supremes won't hear Arthrex appeal

Patent cases are big business.

A recent battle between Naples-based Arthrex and rival Smith & Nephew over an anchoring device used in shoulder surgery shows how big the stakes really are.

The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear a case filed by Arthrex to appeal an $85 million patent-infringement verdict won by Smith & Nephew, Bloomberg recently reported.

Smith & Nephew, a British company, sued Arthrex in 2004 and won the case. But the judge set aside the verdict and an appellate court reinstated it, setting up the Supreme Court appeal.

With annual revenues of more than $1 billion, the financial impact of the decision to Arthrex isn't life threatening. But it's certain the Supreme Court's decision to let the verdict stand isn't welcome holiday news in Naples.