Companies ‘Doing Backflips’ at Top Patent Court Seek SCOTUS Help

The choice that confronted one of the nation’s biggest jet engine makers is being faced by other industries, too, as they weigh whether to reveal potentially damning product secrets as the price to challenge a competitor’s patent.

The Supreme Court could announce as soon as late February if it will wade into the issue, which involves how the court that handles the nation’s patent appeals decides who can seek review of patent office decisions.

The case before the high court involves pharmaceuticals, but the legal issue is identical to the one pitting General Electric Co. against Raytheon Technologies Corp.—the ...