Sedima, S.p.r.l. v. Imrex Co., Inc., et al.

Decided July 1, 1985. Byron Raymond White delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 84-648 · 473 U.S. 479 (1985) · Cited 3,595 times

We don’t yet publish a summary of this opinion — read the official text below for the Court’s holding and reasoning.

How the Justices voted

Decided 5–4.

“Concurring” means agreeing with the outcome; any split shown is the Court’s judgment, not each Justice’s reasoning. Source: the Supreme Court Database (Spaeth et al.), Washington University.

Precedents cited

Supreme Court decisions this opinion relies on, ordered by how often it cites each. Cases in our collection link through; others are named.

• United States v. Turkette · 452 U.S. 576 (1981)
• Russello v. United States · 464 U.S. 16 (1983)
• Brunswick Corp. v. Pueblo Bowl-O-Mat, Inc. · 429 U.S. 477 (1977)
• Santa Fe Industries, Inc. v. Green · 430 U.S. 462 (1977)
• United States v. Ward · 448 U.S. 242 (1980)
• Consumer Product Safety Commission v. GTE Sylvania, Inc. · 447 U.S. 102 (1980)
• Blue Chip Stamps v. Manor Drug Stores · 421 U.S. 723 (1975)
• Pereira v. United States · 347 U.S. 1 (1954)
• Iannelli v. United States · 420 U.S. 770 (1975)
• Reiter v. Sonotone Corp. · 442 U.S. 330 (1979)
• United States v. United States Gypsum Co. · 438 U.S. 422 (1978)
• Helvering v. Mitchell · 303 U.S. 391 (1938)
• One 1958 Plymouth Sedan v. Pennsylvania · 380 U.S. 693 (1965)
• United States v. Albertini · 472 U.S. 675 (1985)
• United States v. One Assortment of 89 Firearms · 465 U.S. 354 (1984)
• Blue Shield of Va. v. McCready · 457 U.S. 465 (1982)
• Radzanower v. Touche Ross & Co. · 426 U.S. 148 (1976)
• Callanan v. United States · 364 U.S. 587 (1961)
• One Lot Emerald Cut Stones and One Ring v. United States · 409 U.S. 232 (1972)
• Train v. Colorado Public Interest Research Group, Inc. · 426 U.S. 1 (1976)
• United States v. Borden Co. · 347 U.S. 514 (1954)
• United States v. Regan · 232 U.S. 37 (1914)

Cited by

Later Supreme Court opinions in our collection that cite this case.

• Anza v. Ideal Steel Supply Corp. · 547 U.S. 451 (2006)
• H. J. Inc. v. Northwestern Bell Telephone Co. · 492 U.S. 229 (1989)
• Holmes v. Securities Investor Protection Corporation · 503 U.S. 258 (1992)
• Medical Marijuana, Inc. v. Horn · 604 U.S. 593 (2025)
• Tafflin v. Levitt · 493 U.S. 455 (1990)
• Boyle v. United States · 556 U.S. 938 (2009)
• Bostock v. Clayton County · 590 U.S. 644 (2020)
• Reves v. Ernst & Young · 507 U.S. 170 (1993)
• Bridge v. Phoenix Bond & Indemnity Co. · 553 U.S. 639 (2008)
• Rotella v. Wood · 528 U.S. 549 (2000)
• National Organization for Women, Inc. v. Scheidler · 510 U.S. 249 (1994)
• Hemi Group, LLC v. City of New York · 559 U.S. 1 (2010)
• Encino Motorcars, LLC v. Navarro · 584 U.S. 79 (2018)
• Scheidler v. National Organization for Women, Inc. · 537 U.S. 393 (2003)
• Shearson/American Express Inc. v. McMahon · 482 U.S. 220 (1987)
• Agency Holding Corp. v. Malley-Duff & Associates, Inc. · 483 U.S. 143 (1987)
• Klehr v. A. O. Smith Corp. · 521 U.S. 179 (1997)
• Grogan v. Garner · 498 U.S. 279 (1991)
• Patterson v. McLean Credit Union · 491 U.S. 164 (1989)
• Pennsylvania Department of Corrections v. Yeskey · 524 U.S. 206 (1998)
• Salinas v. United States · 522 U.S. 52 (1997)
• United States Department of Defense v. Federal Labor Relations Authority · 510 U.S. 487 (1994)
• Japan Whaling Ass'n v. American Cetacean Society · 478 U.S. 221 (1986)
• Chisom v. Roemer · 501 U.S. 380 (1991)
• United States v. Monsanto · 491 U.S. 600 (1989)
• Traynor v. Turnage · 485 U.S. 535 (1988)
• Fort Wayne Books, Inc. v. Indiana · 489 U.S. 46 (1989)
• West Virginia v. EPA · 597 U.S. 697 (2022)
• Yegiazaryan v. Smagin · 599 U.S. 533 (2023)

Official text

Read the official opinion (U.S. Reports, govinfo.gov)

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Source: the U.S. Reports via govinfo.gov; authoring Justice and vote lineup from the Supreme Court Database (Washington University). Citation count from the Free Law Project’s CourtListener bulk data. Data last verified 2026-07-03. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).