Overthepastdecade,thousandsofpatentshavebeengrantedforwhatarecalledbusinessmethods.Amazon.comreceivedoneforits"one-click"onlinepaymentsystem.MerrillLynchgotlegalprotectionforanassetallocationstrategy.Oneinventorpatentedatechniqueforliftingabox. Nowthenation'stoppatentcourtappearscompletelyreadytoscalebackonbusiness-methodpatents,whichhavebeencontroversialeversincetheywerefirstauthorized10yearsago.Inamovethathasintellectual-propertylawyersabuzz,theU.S.CourtofAppealsfortheFederalCircuitsaiditwoulduseaparticularcasetoconductabroadreviewofbusiness-methodpatents.InreBil-ski,asthecaseisknown,is"averybigdeal,"saysDennis D．CrouchoftheUniversityofMis-souriSchooloflaw.It"hasthepotentialtoeliminateanentireclassofpatents." Curbsonbusiness-methodclaimswouldbeadramaticabout-face,becauseitwastheFederalCircuititselfthatintroducedsuchpatentswithits1998decisionintheso-calledStateStreetBankcase,approvingapatentonawayofpoolingmutual-fundassets.Thatrulingproducedanexplosioninbusiness-methodpatentfilings,initiallybyemerginginternetcompaniestryingtostakeoutexclusiverightstospecifictypesofonlinetransactions.Later,moreestablishedcompaniesracedtoaddsuchpatentstotheirfiles,ifonlyasadefensivemoveagainstrivalsthatmightbeatthemtothepunch.In2005,IBMnotedinacourtfilingthatithadbeenissuedmorethan300business-methodpatents,despitethefactthatitquestionedthelegalbasisforgrantingthem.Similarly,someWallStreetinvestmentfilmsarmedthemselveswithpatentsforfinancialproducts,evenastheytookpositionsincourtcasesopposingthepractice. TheBilskieaseinvolvesaclaimedpatentonamethodforhedgingriskintheenergymarket.TheFederalCircuitissuedanunusualorderstatingthatthecasewouldbeheardbyall12ofthecourt'sjudges,ratherthanatypicalpanelofthree,andthatoneissueitwantstoevaluateiswhetheritshould"reconsider"itsStateStreetBankruling. TheFederalCircuit'sactioncomesinthewakeofaseriesofrecentdecisionsbythesupremeCourtthathasnarrowedthescopeofprotectionsforpatentholders.LastApril,forexample,thejusticessignaledthattoomanypatentswerebeingupheldfor"inventions"thatareobvious.ThejudgesontheFederalCircuitare"reactingtotheanti-patenttrendattheSupremeCourt,"saysHarold C．Wegner,apatentattorneyandprofessoratGeorgeWashingtonUniversityLawSchool. Business-methodpatentshaverecendyarousedconcernbecauseof
A.their limited value to businesses B.their connection with asset allocation C.the possible restriction on their granting D.the controversy over their authorization正确答案C
