Critical Technical Fix to CBM Statute Left out of Leahy Bill

Wasting no time…the Senate has quickly introduced a companion bill to H.R. 3309. The senate bill (here), sponsored by Senator Leahy of Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (AIA) fame, largely tracks the post grant related provisions of the existing house legislation — with one major difference. The Leahy bill does not include the technical fix to the Covered Business Method (CBM) provisions of the AIA, Section 18(a)(1)(C)(i). This fix is included in the Goodlatte bill to permit CBM challenges on prior art qualifying under 35 U.S.C. § 102(e). 102(e) is a critical class of prior art for business method patent challengers.

As explained previously, the exclusion of 102(e) was a drafting mistake of the AIA. This drafting error significantly degrades the appeal of CBM for business method patent challengers. While mark-up and evolution of H.R. 3309 /Senator Leahy’s Bill will certainly continue, it is disturbing that this critical fix was seemingly deliberately left out of the Senate bill.