Biotechnology, Computer Software, And Business Method Patents

• Author: Joseph P. Kennedy/Wayne H. Watkins/Elyse N. Ball (With)
• Profession: Distinguished Professor of Polymer Science and Chemistry at The University of Akron/Associate Vice President for Research at The University of Akron/Project Manager for the University of Akron Research Foundation
• Pages: 84-90

CHAPTER 8

BIOTECHNOLOGY, COMPUTER

SOFTWARE, AND BUSINESS

METHOD PATENTS

Disruptive technology advancesperiodically change the way we live our lives.

Advances in mechanical arts changed the face of American agriculture in the

early twentieth century. During World War II, advances in engineering and

physical sciences, such as the transistor and synthetic rubber, changed war

strategies and results. Toward the end of the twentieth century, genetic engi-

neering and molecular biology emerged as a new field of biotechnology, and

computers and software created a whole new field of information technology.

This chapter concerns the effect of patents on biotechnology and computer

software, two fast growingareas of technology. It also tackles business method

patents, another specialized area of patent law that frequently overlaps with

software patents. Biotechnology, computer software, and business methods

are unsettled areas of patent law because they do not fit easily into the Patent

Law’s subject matter and they are quickly and constantly changing. The

sections below survey the development of patent protection in these fields

with the understanding that new laws and court decisions will continue to

impact the availability of patent protection for biotechnology, software, and

business methods.

How to Invent and Protect Your Invention: A Guide to Patents for Scientists and Engineers,

First Edition. Joseph P. Kennedy and Wayne H. Watkins with Elyse N. Ball.

© 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Published 2012 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

84