Business methods and processes
Patenting ways of doing business online.
3D Learning World
Interactive Visualizations
Topic Diagrams
Business method patent milestones
Key events in business method patent law.
- 1
Pre-1998: 'Business method exception' excludes business methods from patentability
- 2
1998: State Street Bank decision — business methods are patentable
- 3
Late 1990s–2000s: USPTO grants thousands of business method patents (Amazon one-click)
- 4
2014: Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank — tighter standard for abstract methods on computers
Before 1998, a 'business method exception' excluded business methods from patentability. The 1998 State Street Bank decision removed that exception, leading to thousands of business method patents like Amazon's one-click. In 2014, the Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank decision tightened the standard, making it harder to patent abstract business methods implemented on a computer.
Explanation: Before 1998, a 'business method exception' excluded business methods from patentability. The 1998 State Street Bank decision removed that exception, leading to thousands of business method patents like Amazon's one-click. In 2014, the Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank decision tightened the standard, making it harder to patent abstract business methods implemented on a computer.