Lotus Development Corporation v. Borland International, Inc.
516 U.S. 233 · Decided January 16, 1996 · Supreme Court of the United States
At a glance
Lotus Development Corporation v. Borland International, Inc. was decided on January 16, 1996 by a vote of 4–4. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. The Justices were equally divided, which leaves the lower court's judgment in place without setting precedent. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Copyrights” in the Economic Activity area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 516 U.S. 233 · 116 S. Ct. 804 · 133 L. Ed. 2d 610 · 1996 U.S. LEXIS 470
- Docket number
- 94-2003
- Decided
- January 16, 1996
- Argued
- January 8, 1996
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Equally divided vote
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 4–4
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Copyrights
- Issue area
- Economic Activity
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice David H. Souter | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Clarence Thomas | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Equally divided vote | |
| Justice Stephen G. Breyer | Equally divided vote |
Did not participate: John Paul Stevens.
Full case caption
Lotus Development Corporation v. Borland International, Inc.
SCDB identifiers: case 1995-017, docket 1995-017-01.
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Same Term, same area (Economic Activity)
- Citizens Bank of Maryland v. David Strumpf
- William Field and Norinne Field v. Philip W. Mans
- Yamaha Motor Corporation, U. S. A. v. Lucien B. Calhoun
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- Bank One Chicago, N. A. v. Midwest Bank & Trust Company
- Fulton Corporation v. Janice H. FaulknerAltered precedentLaw held unconstitutional
Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error