Many companies in Canada and the US are waiting for clarity on the software and business-method patent debate.

• In the US, we’re watching the proposed Patent Reform Act of 2010,
• A ruling from the US Supreme Court is expected on the Bilski appeal ;
• In Canada, we’re waiting for the decision in the Federal Court appeal of the Patent Appeal Board’s rejection of Amazon’s 1-click patent, and 
• CIPO has announced that it will introduce MOPOP amendments relating to Computer implemented inventions.

Patent offices on both sides of the border are issuing rejections, but one (in)famous software patent has been re-examined and upheld.  The USPTO recently completed in lengthy review of Amazon’s controversial 1-click patent and confirmed the patentability of many of the original claims.  Amazon has avoided the defeat of a re-examination and rejection and has in fact emerged with a narrower but arguably more defensible set of claims.  This is good news for Amazon, but does little to settle the wider debate, since the 1-click patent has become a poster-child for patent reform, and this decision merely fuels the debate further. The patent is set to expire in September, 2017.  

Calgary – 07:00 MST