The U.S. Supreme Court is putting inter partes review on trial.

The high court agreed to decide Monday whether post-grant proceedings at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board are unconstitutional. The proceedings were established in 2012 by the America Invents Act and have proved to be a hugely popular, relatively inexpensive avenue to cancel weak patent claims. It's become known by some as “a death squad” for patent rights.

But a small, vocal group of academics and practitioners have complained that once the Patent and Trademark Office issues a valid patent, it becomes a private property right that only Article III courts may take away.