The Keim v. United States case in 1899 revolved around the issue of whether or not a government employee, who was also an inventor, had rights to his invention that he created while employed by the U.S. Government. The Supreme Court ruled against Mr. Keim, stating that any inventions made during employment with the government were considered property of said employer unless there was explicit agreement otherwise prior to creation of such inventions. Mr. Keim invented a new type of artillery shell while working for the War Department and applied for patents without notifying his superiors about it first which led to this dispute over ownership rights between him and the federal government. This ruling set precedent for future cases involving intellectual property disputes between employees and employers within both public sector jobs as well as private corporations where similar principles are often applied today regarding patent rights.

In the dissenting opinion for Keim v. United States, Justice Harlan argued that the majority's decision to deny Mr. Keim his pension was unjust and inconsistent with previous rulings of the court. He contended that Congress had intended to provide pensions not only for soldiers who were injured during their service but also those whose injuries became apparent after they left service. In this case, Mr. Keim developed a disease years after he served in the Civil War which doctors testified was likely caused by exposure during his military service; therefore, according to Justice Harlan, he should be entitled to a pension under existing laws at that time.