Tax Group Seeks Special Legislation Banning Tax Strategy PatentsAs if the prospects of any meaningful patent reform this year weren’t dim enough, another special interest group has joined the fray. Yesterday, the AICPA sent a letter to Congress (here) urging the enactment of legislation banning tax strategy patents. The letter states that even though consideration of patent reform is unlikely in the remaining weeks of the 111th Congress, their patent issue should be considered anyway.In the letter, the group explains: To date, 117 tax strategy patents have been issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.  We fear an even greater explosion in both applications and patents issued over the next several years. While Bilski does not outlaw tax patents per se, getting any patent through the USPTO relating to financial strategies would seem like a significant uphill battle. Congress should focus on advancing the full reform legislation that has been years in the making….. wait your turn nerds!! 

As if the prospects of any meaningful patent reform this year weren’t dim enough, another special interest group has joined the fray. Yesterday, the AICPA sent a letter to Congress (here) urging the enactment of legislation banning tax strategy patents. The letter states that even though consideration of patent reform is unlikely in the remaining weeks of the 111th Congress, their patent issue should be considered anyway.

In the letter, the group explains: To date, 117 tax strategy patents have been issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.  We fear an even greater explosion in both applications and patents issued over the next several years.

While Bilski does not outlaw tax patents per se, getting any patent through the USPTO relating to financial strategies would seem like a significant uphill battle. Congress should focus on advancing the full reform legislation that has been years in the making….. wait your turn nerds!!