Business methods and software still patentable in U.S. following closely-watched Bilski
BUSINESSMETHODSANDSOFTWARESTILLPATENTABLEINU
.S.
FOLLOWINGCLOSELY-WATCHEDBILSKI
ADAMMIZERA*
ROBIC,
LLP
L
AWYERS,PATENTANDTRADE-MARKAGENTS
Inarulingthathasbeeneagerlyanticipatedbytheworldwideintellectualproperty
community,theSupremeCourtoftheUnitedStatesissuedadecisiononJune28on
thevalidityofbusinessmethodpatents.
TheSupremeCourtrejectedapatentapplicationforabusinessmethodofrisk
managementinfinancialmarkets.However,initsjudgment,thecourtprovideda
numberofcommentsthatappeartoindicatethatbusinessmethodsarestill
patentableintheU.S.andthatsoftwarecancontinuetobepatentableinthat
jurisdiction.
TheBilskiv.Kappuscase[http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/09pdf/08-964.pdf]
resultedfromanappealofajudgmentoftheU.S.CourtofAppealsfortheFederal
Circuit,whichhadre-examinedthevalidityofpatentsonbusinessmethods.Ina
majoritydecision,theappealscourtrejectedapatentclaimforabusinessmethodfor
hedgingrisksinenergymarkets.
TheCourtofAppealshaddeterminedthatsuchapatentapplicationcouldnotbe
validiftheobjectoftheapplicationwasnotattachedtoaphysicalmachine,orifitdid
notproduceachangeofstateortransformationofaproductinwhatisknownasthe
machine-or-transformationtest.
AlthoughthecaseinvolvedaU.S.patentapplicationmoreofinteresttofinancial
institutions,theBilskidecisionhasanimpactonthepatentfilingstrategiesof
Canadianandotherforeignapplicantsinseveraldifferentfields,including
biotechnologyandsoftware.
AsubstantialamountofCanadianandforeignpatentportfoliosusuallyincludeaU.S.
patentsincethecountryoftenrepresentsanimportantmarketforproductsand
services.
©CIPS,2010.*OfROBIC,LLP.,amultidisciplinaryfirmoflawyers,patentandtrademarkagents.Publishedinthe
2010-07-089issueofTheGazette.Publication62.44
2
ThedecisionoftheSupremeCourtinthiscasewasexpectedtohelpdefinethelimits
ofwhatcanbeprotectedthroughapatentandthelevelofallowableabstractionin
patentclaims.
Indeed,severalimportanttechnologiesintheneweconomy,includingdiagnostic
methodsinlifesciencesandsoftwareapplications,suchasAmazon.com’sone-click
Internetshoppingfeatures,involveveryabstractorintangibleconcepts,asopposed
tomoretraditionalmechanicalinventions.
Somepeoplehavearguedthatpatentsshouldnotbegrantedonsuchabstract
concepts.
TheU.S.SupremeCourtrejectedtheideathatthemachine-or-transformationtest,
establishedbytheCourtofAppealsfortheFederalCircuit,bethesoletestto
establishpatentabilityofaninvention.
ItdeterminedthatintheBilskicasethemethodofriskmanagementwasnotan
innovationthatcouldbeprotectedthroughapatent.Thecourtavoidedusingthe
machine-or-transformationtest,preferringinsteadtorefertopreviousSupremeCourt
decisionstoestablishthattheclaimedmethodwastooabstracttobepatentable.
Butinrenderingitsdecision,theSupremeCourtdidnotestablishanynewteststo
evaluatepatentablesubjectmatterforpatentapplicationsintheU.S.Consequently,
theuncertaintysurroundingwhatconstitutespatentablesubjectmatterinthat
jurisdictionremains.
TheSupremeCourtdiddeclareinitsdecisionthatbusinessmethodscould
neverthelessincertaincasesbeprotectedthroughpatents.Moreover,althoughthe
courtdidnotexplicitlycommentonthepatentabilityofsoftware,thecourtdidnot
makeanystatementthatwouldappeartogoagainsttheconceptofthepatentability
ofsoftwareintheU.S.
Asaresult,patentapplicantswhowanttoprotectsoftwareinnovationsdonotyet
haveacleartesttodeterminewhetherornottheirsoftwareinventionrepresentsa
patentableinventionintheU.S.
Whileoneawaitssubsequentcourtdecisionstoapplytheprinciplesestablishedin
theBilskidecision,Canadianpatentapplicantscaninthemeantimerefertoanew
chapterintheManualofPatentOfficePractice(MOPOP)inCanadarelatedto
computerimplementedinventions.
ThisnewMOPOPchapterisavailableforconsultationhere
[[http://www.cipo.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/cipointernet-
internetopic.nsf/vwapj/consultation_chapitre16-chapter16-
eng.pdf/$FILE/consultation_chapitre16-chapter16-eng.pdf]..Thechaptergives
3
severalexamplesofinventionswithsoftwarecomponents,aswellastheopinionof
theCanadianPatentOfficeonwhatconstitutespatentablesubjectmatterinthese
inventions.ThepublicisinvitedtoprovidecommentsonthischapteruntilAugust19,
2010.Accesstothepageindicatinghowobservationsandsuggestionscanbe
providedtotheCanadianPatentOfficeisavailablehere
[[http://www.cipo.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/cipointernet-internetopic.nsf/eng/wr02486.html]].
Onemustnote,however,thatthisCanadianchapteronthequestionofpatentability
ofsoftwaremayalsorequiremodificationsoncetheAmazon.comcase,relatedtothe
rejectionofAmazon.com’spatentapplicationonone-clickshopping,isheardanda
decisionisrenderedbytheFederalCourtofCanada.
Fornow,caselawonthepatentabilityofsoftwareappearstobeasactiveasrecent
technologicalandinnovativedevelopmentsinthisfield.
ROBIC,ungrouped’avocatsetd’agentsdebrevetsetdemarquesdecommerce
vouédepuis1892àlaprotectionetàlavalorisationdelapropriétéintellectuelledans
touslesdomaines:brevets,dessinsindustrielsetmodèlesutilitaires;marquesde
commerce,marquesdecertificationetappellationsd’origine;droitsd’auteur,
propriétélittéraireetartistique,droitsvoisinsetdel’artisteinterprète;informatique,
logicielsetcircuitsintégrés;biotechnologies,pharmaceutiquesetobtentions
végétales;secretsdecommerce,know-howetconcurrence;licences,franchiseset
transfertsdetechnologies;commerceélectronique,distributionetdroitdesaffaires;
marquage,publicitéetétiquetage;poursuite,litigeetarbitrage;vérificationdiligenteet
audit.ROBIC,agroupoflawyersandofpatentandtrademarkagentsdedicated
since1892totheprotectionandthevalorizationofallfieldsofintellectualproperty:
patents,industrialdesignsandutilitypatents;trademarks,certificationmarksand
indicationsoforigin;copyrightandentertainmentlaw,artistsandperformers,
neighbouringrights;computer,softwareandintegratedcircuits;biotechnologies,
pharmaceuticalsandplantbreeders;tradesecrets,know-how,competitionandanti-
trust;licensing,franchisingandtechnologytransfers;e-commerce,distributionand
businesslaw;marketing,publicityandlabelling;prosecutionlitigationandarbitration;
duediligence.
COPYRIGHTER
IDEASLIVEHERE
ILATOUTDEMÊMEFALLUL’INVENTER!
LAMAÎTRISEDESINTANGIBLES
4
LEGERROBICRICHARD
NOSFENÊTRESGRANDESOUVERTESSURLEMONDEDESAFFAIRES
PATENTER
R
ROBIC
ROBIC+DROIT+AFFAIRES+SCIENCES+ARTS
ROBIC++++
ROBIC+LAW+BUSINESS+SCIENCE+ART
THETRADEMARKERGROUP
TRADEMARKER
VOSIDÉESÀLAPORTÉEDUMONDE,DESAFFAIRESÀLAGRANDEURDELA
PLANÈTE
YOURBUSINESSISTHEWORLDOFIDEAS;OURBUSINESSBRINGSYOURIDEAS
TOTHEWORLD
Trade-marksofROBIC,
LLP(“ROBIC”)