 Holding a "Markman" hearing in patent infringement cases has been common practice since the U.S. Supreme Court, in the 1996 case of "Markman v. Westview Instruments, Inc.", found that the language of a patent is a matter of law for a judge to decide, not a matter of fact for a jury to decide.In the United States, juries determine facts in many situations, but judges determine matters of law.