The term 'ITS PATENT WAS LITIGATED BY LINCOLN' can be summarized by saying that Abraham Lincoln was involved in a legal dispute over a patent. The crossword solution for this term is 'REAPER', which refers to Lincoln's role as a lawyer in the McCormick REAPER Case. This case was a dispute between Cyrus McCormick and Obed Hussey over the invention of the mechanical REAPER, a device used to harvest crops. Lincoln represented McCormick in the case, which was ultimately decided in his favor.