Business Method Patents

• Patentable subject matter includes business methods

• Industry impact and upholdability questioned

• Patent mills - 2600 filed in 1999

Famous Cases

• E-Data: patent on software kiosks to download software did not cover web downloading

• Lycos: Web search engine technology

• State Street Bank v. Signature Financial Group: CAFC ruling held business methods were patentable July 1998

• Priceline: reverse auction purchasing; Suing Microsoft Expedia; Sued by CheapFares; Sued by Market International

• Amazon.com:One click shopping carts; Suing B&N.com; affiliate program

• CyberGold: View banner ads for credit

• SightSound: online music downloading

• Online Gaming Systems: Online Bingo

• Acompany.com now MobShop: Group Buying

• Response Reward Systems v. BrightStreet v. CoolSavings

Obviousness?

Change Patent Law to provide shorter term?

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