In the case of Eastman Kodak Company of New York v. Southern Photo Materials Company, 1926, the Supreme Court ruled on a dispute involving patent rights and antitrust laws. The Southern Photo Materials Company accused Eastman Kodak of monopolizing the market by leasing its patented machines only to those who agreed to exclusively use their unpatented film and paper products. They argued that this was an illegal tying arrangement under antitrust law because it extended the monopoly granted by a patent (on the machine) to unpatented items (the film and paper). The court disagreed with this argument, stating that such arrangements were not inherently illegal unless they restrained trade or tended towards monopoly in violation of Sherman Act provisions. It held that there must be proof showing actual harmful effects on competition for it to be considered unlawful under antitrust laws.

The dissenting opinion in the case of Eastman Kodak Company of New York v. Southern Photo Materials Company argued that the majority's ruling was inconsistent with previous decisions made by the court regarding patent rights and their enforcement. The dissent noted that while a patent owner has exclusive rights to produce, use, and sell an invention during its term, these rights do not extend beyond this period or allow for monopolistic practices such as price-fixing or market manipulation. It also pointed out that allowing a company to maintain control over patented products after they have been sold would effectively extend the life of patents indefinitely and undermine competition in violation of antitrust laws. Furthermore, it contended that there was no evidence presented showing any harm caused by reselling used equipment at lower prices than new ones.