The Ultimate Patent Guide
Your Patent Playbook & Answers to 100+ FAQs The Ultimate
Patent Guide
Your Patent Playbook & Answers to 100+ FAQs

Wandering Through Patent Wonderland

Alice Corporation, unlike Alice in Wonderland, wasn't chasing a white rabbit. They were trying to patent a financial method – a way to manage risk by settling financial transactions faster. Sounds complex, right? Well, the question at the heart of the case was even trickier: can abstract ideas like financial methods be patented?
CLS Bank wasn't buying it. They argued that Alice's invention wasn't really an invention at all. It was just a new way of doing business, something patents shouldn't cover. The judge agreed, ruling that Alice's idea was too abstract, like trying to patent the concept of "being fast."
This case, known as Alice Corporation v. CLS Bank International, became a landmark decision. It established a new test, called the Alice test, to determine if an invention is truly patentable. The test asks two questions:

If the answer to both questions is yes, then the invention might be patentable. But if it's just a new way of using an abstract idea, like Alice's financial method, then it probably won't fly.

Learn More - Top Interesting Patent Lawsuits

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FAQ 67

Can I renew a patent after it expires

FAQ 68

How Can I Use Patents For My Competitive Advantage?

FAQ 69

Can I use someone else's patented idea for personal use

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