IP/Internet/New Media Blog

H.&R. Block’s “Spending Vehicle” patents were struck down in a decision relying heavily on Biliski. Opinion available courtesy of Patently-O:

A financial relationship is simply an abstract intellectual concept. Absent the recitation of
a computer, the ‘862 patent would certainly claim unpatentable subject matter.

The ’862 patent is the “Spending Vehicles for Payments”, and one is tempted to assume the inapt use of metaphor has once again lead to poor legal reasoning, this time on H&R Block’s part. The Patently-O article is worth reading, as are many of the comments.

Bilski v. Kappos was argued before the Supreme Court. Professor Lyle Denniston’s “A Patent Dispute for the Information Age” is a good place to start, and SCOTUSWIKI has links to various case documents. At stake: Can business processes be patented?

University of Ottowa’s Dr. Michael Geist is celebrating 10 years of his email service, “Internet Law News”, published by Bureau of National Affairs (BNA). Free subscriptions are available at via BNA. Congratulations, Professor Geist!