Case Watch: Bilski v. Kappos

On June, 1, 2009, the U.S. Supreme Court granted a writ of certiorari Finnegan filed on behalf of the applicants in In re Bilski, 545 F.3d 943 (Fed. Cir. 2008) en banc. The petition asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review and reverse the Bilski decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit limiting what types of inventions are patentable “processes” under the U.S. patent laws. The oral argument took place on Monday, November 9, 2009, and a decision was issued on June 28, 2010.

In the Bilski v. Kappos decision, issued on June 28, 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit’s “machine−or−transformation” test, which required that a patentable process either be tied to a machine or apparatus or involve a transformation of a particular article into a different state or thing.   The Court also affirmatively recognized that “business methods” are not categorically excluded from the scope of 35 U.S.C. § 101.  

Bilski v. Kappos, 08-964, U.S. Supreme Court

Media Resources

Bilski v. Kappos Supreme Court Decision, 6.28.2010

Bilski v. Kappos Oral Argument Transcript, 11.10.2009 

Frequently Asked Questions, 11.02.2009

Bilski Historical Timeline, 11.02.2009

Webinar - Bilski Update: Patentable Subject Matter and the USPTO's Interim Guidance, 09.10.2009

Webinar - Patent Practice in the Wake of In re Bilski, 02.19.2009

Press Release - Finnegan Files Petition for a Writ of Certiorari in U.S. Supreme Court in Bilski Case, 01.28.2009

Podcast - Mike Jakes on Why the Supreme Court Should Agree to Hear the Bilski Case, 01.28.2009

Court Documents - Post Granting of Certiorari

Petitioners' Opening Brief, 07.30.2009

U.S. Solicitor General's Opening Brief, 09.25.2009

Petitioners' Reply Brief, 10.26.2009

Supreme Court Amicus Briefs Filed for Bilski v. Kappos - Merit Stage 
Accenture/Pitney Bowes
Adamas Pharamaceuticals and Tethys Biosciences
AIPPI and AIPPI-US
American Bar Association
American Insurance Association, The Hartford, Jackson National Life Insurance, Pacific Life Insurance, Sun Life Assurance, Transamerica Life Insurance
American Intellectual Property Law Association
American Medical Association, American College of Medical Genetics, American Society of Human Genetics, Association of Professors of Human and Medical Genetics, Mayo Clinic
Austin IP Law Association
AwakenIP LLC
Bank of America, Barclays Capital, The Clearing House Association, Financial Services Roundtable, Google, MetLife, Morgan Stanley
BIO, Advanced Medical Technology Association, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, and Regents of the University of California
Bloomberg L.P.
Borland Software
Boston Patent Law Association
Business Software Alliance
Caris Diagnostics, Inc.
CASRIP of Univ. of Washington School of Law
Computer and Communications Industry Association
Conejo Valley Bar Association
Dolby Laboratories
Double Rock Corporation et al.
Dr. Ananda Chakrabarty
Eagle Forum & Legal Defense Fund
Eleven Law Professors and AARP
Entrepreneurial Software Companies (Armanta, Asentinel, CyberSource Corp., Hooked Wireless)
Federal Circuit Bar Association
FICPI
Foundation for a Free Information Infrastructure, IP Justice, and Four Global Software Professionals and Business Leaders
Franklin Pierce Law School
Georgia Biomedical Partnership
Houston IP Law Association
IBM
Intellectual Property Law Association of Chicago
Internet Retailers
IP Section of Nevada State Bar
IPO
John P. Sutton, Esq.
Legal On Ramp
Mark Landesmann
Medtronic, Inc.
Microsoft, Phillips and Symantec
Monogram Biosciences Inc. and Genomic Health Inc.
Novartis
On Time Systems
Patent Hawk/"State of Oregon"
PhRMA
Professor Kevin Emerson Collins
Professor Lee Hollar and IEEE-USA
Professors Menell and Meurer, Berkeley
Prometheus Labs
Raymond C. Meiers
Red Hat
Regulatory DataCorp, American Express, Palm, Rockwell Automation, and SAP
Robert R. Sachs and Daniel R. Brownstone
San Diego IP Law Association
Software & Information Industry Association
Software Freedom Law Center
Telecommunication Systems, Inc.
Teles AG
Timothy F. McDonough, PhD
Twenty Law and Business Professors
University of South Florida
Washington State Patent Law Association
William Mitchell College of Law IP Institute
Yahoo! Inc.

Court Documents - Before Granting of Certiorari

Petition to Supreme Court for a Writ of Certiorari, 01.28.2009

U.S. Solicitor General's Brief in Opposition to Writ of Certiorari, 05.01.2009

Petitioners' Reply Brief, 05.08.2009

Questions Presented As Certified by the Supreme Court, 06.01.2009

Supreme Court Amicus Briefs Filed for Bilski v. Kappos - Cert Stage
Accenture/Pitney Bowes
American Intellectual Property Law Association
Anne E. Barschall
Borland Software Corporation
Boston Patent Law Association
Franklin Pierce Law Center
John P. Sutton
Medistem, Inc.
Philips Electronics