Supremes wrestle with business method, software patents

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For the first time in a generation, the nation’s highest court on Monday pondered the question of which inventions are eligible for patent protection. For the petitioner, Bernard Bilski, the issue was whether he’d get a patent on “a method for managing the consumption risk costs of a commodity sold by a commodity provider.” The exchange gave him little reason for optimism. For the rest of us, the crucial question is what rule will be applied for patent eligibility in the future.