“USPTO’s 10th Annual Business Method Partnership Meeting Fails to Clear Up Patentable Subject Matter Confusion,” David J. Muzilla, Patent Agent

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) held its 10th annual Business Method Partnership Meeting on July 15, 2009 at its offices in Alexandria, Virginia, just outside of Washington D.C. One of the key subjects discussed at this meeting was the issue of patentable subject matter, especially with respect to method or process patent claims. Unfortunately, confusion still surrounds this issue for both the USPTO as well as practitioners, and the intellectual property world continues to wait for the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in on the matter.