 Tyler's assignees brought suit against the defendant Tuel in the District of Vermont for infringing the 1800 patent.They won at trial, but after the verdict was issued, Tuel filed a motion in arrest of judgment, arguing that the assignees never had legal standing to bring the suit, because they were not the assignees of the entire original right and interest in the patent.The district judges were divided on whether to grant the motion or not, and therefore the question went to the Supreme Court on a certificate of division.