House prohibits tax-planning patents.

• Position: Patent News

The House of Representatives recently voted 220-175 to overhaul patent rules and place a ban on tax-planning method patents.

H.R. 1908, the Patent Reform Act of 2007, contained a provision that would protect accounting firms from lawsuits over tax-planning methods.

The bill defines "tax-planning method" as a plan, strategy, technique or scheme designed to reduce, minimize or defer a taxpayer's tax liability. However, the bill did not...