Pro Software Lobby Drives Legislative Rewrite
Last week, the proposed patent reform legislation (HR 3309) was seemingly stalled for the remainder of 2013. This road block was primarily erected by the Business Software Alliance, and other pro software patent lobbyist that were taking issue with certain proposed changes to Section 18 of the America Invents Act (AIA). As a reminder, Section 18 of the AIA defines the Transitional Program for Covered Business Method (CBM) patents. The CBM proceeding is a post grant patent challenge program managed by the USPTO’s Patent Trial & Appeal Board (PTAB). The CBM program has proven especially successful in cost effectively combating and shutting down business method patent litigation.
The proposed changes to the CBM proceeding drawing the most heat were: 1) the recalibration of the definition of a business method patent to de-emphasize financial services aspect, while expanding the definition to embrace more generic software functionality; and 2) repeal of the “transitional” nature of the program (8 years) to make it permanent. Not surprisingly, large software patent filers were not at all enthusiastic.
Faced with the prospect of further hearings and delay, and with the White House ration-no-time-to-waste-on-patent-reform/”>clamoring for something, anything that can be spun as progress in the wake of the Obamacare fallout, HR 3309 has been repackaged by dropping these controversial CBM provisions (existing mark-up here).
With additional mark-up expected in the coming days (although likely very minor), look for a companion bill to be introduced on the Senate side by Senator Leahy. As was the case for the AIA, conference can be avoided if the Senate follows the Goodlatte lead, which appears to be the plan.
Patent Reform for Christmas is looking like a distinct possibility.