Bilski v. Kappos
United States Supreme Court
130 S.Ct. 3218 (2010)
Relevant factsFree
Bilski (plaintiff) applied to patent a method of instructions for hedging risk in energy-commodity purchases, claiming it was a patentable process under the Patent Act. The patent examiner, the Board of Patent Appeals, and the Federal Circuit all rejected the application. The Supreme Court granted certiorari.
IssueFree
Whether an abstract idea, such as a method for hedging risk, is patentable as a process under the Patent Act, even if limited to a particular field of use.
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