Business Method Patents
The controversial new world of business method patents affects every industry, particularly impacting financial companies not accustomed to factoring patent rights into their strategic business plans. Alston & Bird’s patent prosecution attorneys and patent litigators have immersed themselves in the evolving law in this area, testing the boundaries of allowable subject matter and representing clients in disputes that have accompanied the introduction of these new rights into mature industries.
EXPERIENCE
Combining expertise in business, computer science, information technology, mathematics and engineering, the patent attorneys of Alston & Bird have been at the forefront of the relatively new fields of software and business method patents. Since approval of business method patents by the Federal Circuit in 1998, our attorneys have prepared hundreds of business method patent applications, over 250 of which have been issued or published in Class 705.
EXPEDITED PROCESS
Our attorneys are leading some clients through their initial experience with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s “accelerated examination” procedure, after advising them carefully about the pros and cons of the new procedure, which promises to complete examination within about a year. Some of our business method patent clients believe the fast track will give them a competitive edge or help them catch up with competitors who have a head start in filing patent applications.
COMPETITIVE EXPERIENCE
Several of our patent attorneys worked as programmers or software engineers before becoming lawyers, or hold an MBA or advanced degree in a related science or engineering field. This experience is being leveraged by Alston & Bird to the benefit of our clients. Our attorneys have published groundbreaking articles providing guidance to clients concerning the opportunities and pitfalls of business method and computer software patents. In addition to legal journals, we publish in industry journals such as Best’s Review, American Banker, Securities Industry News and Financial Engineering News. Our attorneys involved with business method patents have been recognized in Chambers USA for excellence in both patent prosecution and patent litigation.
LEADING EDGE
Our clients have developed and continue to develop business processes to solve customer problems, make internal operations more efficient, create new financial and insurance instruments, formulate new marketing tactics and more efficiently comply with government regulations. Our attorneys have assisted in protecting these efforts.
Financial and services companies should be building a patent portfolio and paying attention to competitors’ patent rights that may impact significant business strategies. Alston & Bird patent attorneys have the experience and expertise to make these steps efficient and effective.