Court Puts Further Limits on Software Patents

An anonymous reader writes "The Wall Street Journal is reporting on a recent court ruling that may severely limit the scope of both software and business model patents. The court found that 'The routine addition of modern electronics to an otherwise unpatentable invention' isn't enough to get over the 'non-obvious' hurdle that every patent is supposed to clear. This is a huge step in the right direction and one of the first admissions from the court system that perhaps software and business model patents have gone too far. 'In August, the Federal Circuit in essence raised the bar for proving willful infringement, a finding that allows a judge to triple a damage award. In April, the Supreme Court handed down a patent decision making it easier for trial-court judges to call an invention "obvious" and therefore ineligible for a patent.'"

Comments

obvious

[User 956]

In April, the Supreme Court handed down a patent decision making it easier for trial-court judges to call an invention "obvious" and therefore ineligible for a patent.

Did this patent decision also make it easier for them to call an invention +5 insightful?

Stupid Patents

[sconeu]

This is a huge step in the right direction

IsNot (patent pending)!!!!!

Re:Modern?

[debilo]

The internet is not a device.

Outrageous! Anything that keeps Slashdotters happy on a cold, lonely night is a 'device' in my book.

Hold it...

[idontgno]

Hold it hold it hold it...

The latest ruling came in a case arising from a patent application by Stephen Comiskey, a lawyer who wanted to create a system for "mandatory arbitration involving legal documents," such as wills or contracts. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office denied Mr. Comiskey's patent application, as did the agency's board of appeals. Mr. Comiskey took his appeal to court.

Did this guy try to patent lawsuits?

Wow. That takes huge brass ones.

Frankly, I wonder if Mr. Comiskey shouldn't be more worried about his patent being invalidated by the huge body of prior art on Slashdot, every time a patent subject comes up and some bright bulb attempts to create a joke metapatent or something.