Yesterday the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank that abstract ideas are not patentable. The decision was good news for innovators because fewer software patents based on abstract ideas will be issued to make their way into the hands of patent trolls.
Here’s what some Alliance members are saying about the decision:
David Bloom, CEO, Ordr.in: For the 4th time this term all nine judges agreed software patents should have more limited scope. The message to the federal judiciary is totally clear. Be very careful about supporting patent trolls or risk being overturned on appeal. This term, and especially this ruling, is a home run for the tech industry.
Todd Moore, CEO and Founder, TMSOFT: This ruling is definitely a win and I hope the USPTO will stop issuing patents on abstract ideas. But what about the thousands that were already issued? It’s too expensive to let companies fight every bad patent out there. We need Congress to take action and clean up this mess.
Danny Seigle, Director of Operations, FindTheBest: I am thrilled that the Supreme Court unanimously ruled Alice Corp.’s patents invalid because they “simply add computer language to the basic idea of using a financial intermediary to create trust in transactions.” It’s good to know one branch of the government is competent. Now it’s time for Congress to step up and pass legislation to stop these unfair and corrupt practices.
