Software and Business Method Inventions After <i>Alice</i>

As important as software and business method inventions are in the new digital economy, it is often unclear whether they can be patented. This uncertainty is largely due to a legal rule that “abstract ideas” are not eligible for patent protection, which is based on a long line of U.S. Supreme Court cases, with <i>Alice Corporation v. CLS Bank</i> being the most recent and influential.

9 minute read November 01, 2016 at 12:21 AM
By
Nam Kim
Software and Business Method Inventions After <i>Alice</i>

Patent attorneys are often asked the question: “Is my idea patentable?” Frequently the idea is related to software or business methods. Well-known business methods include Amazon's “1-click shopping” and Priceline's “reverse auction.”

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