Gardner v. Goodyear Dental Vulcanite Company was a case heard by the United States Supreme Court in 1872. The case involved a dispute between Gardner, a patent holder, and Goodyear, a company that had manufactured and sold products that infringed on Gardner's patent. Gardner had obtained a patent for a process of manufacturing vulcanite, a rubber-like material, and Goodyear had used the process without permission. Gardner sued Goodyear for patent infringement, and the case was heard by the Supreme Court. The Court held that Goodyear had infringed on Gardner's patent and was liable for damages. The Court also held that Gardner was entitled to an injunction against Goodyear, preventing them from using the patented process in the future. The Court's decision in Gardner v. Goodyear Dental Vulcanite Company established the principle that patent holders are entitled to protection from infringement and that companies that infringe on patents are liable for damages. This decision has been cited in numerous subsequent cases and has been an important precedent in patent law.

In Gardner v. Goodyear Dental Vulcanite Company, the Supreme Court was asked to decide whether a patent for an invention of vulcanized rubber could be extended beyond its original expiration date. The majority opinion held that Congress had not intended to extend patents in this manner and thus denied the extension. However, Justice Field dissented from this decision, arguing that Congress had indeed authorized such extensions when it passed legislation allowing inventors to petition for them if their inventions were "not known or used before his application." Field argued that since there was no evidence proving otherwise in this case, the petitioner should have been granted an extension on their patent as they requested. He further noted that denying such requests would discourage innovation and limit progress by preventing inventors from profiting off of their inventions after investing time and money into them.