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.