美国商业方法专利适格性审查的新发展

Bilski 案否定了对商业方法专利的全类别排除，并拒绝将“机器或转变测试法”作为判断“何谓方法”的唯一测试法，显现出专利适格性问题上“明线规则”的弱化，有利于对发明实质的关注，避免被不当规避，同时对新技术的发展更具包容性。Bilski 案后，CAFC 通过系列商业方法专利适格性判例阐释了禁止“先占抽象概念”的标准：“完全由人的思维执行的方法”属于不可专利的抽象概念；未对抽象概念进行“有意义的限制”不可专利；“抽象概念的实际应用”属于专利适格标的；商业方法实施“装置”、“系统”发明同样可能属于“抽象概念”等。这些更灵活务实的适格性审查规则，以及旨在提高商业方法专利质量的各项行政程序的实施，将令商业方法专利呈现更积极有序的前景。

New Development of American Business Method Patent Eligibility Review

The Supreme Court has rejected calls for a categorical exclusion of so-called business method claims and has held that the formulaic “machine-or-transformation”test cannot be the exclusive means for determining the patent eligi-bility of process claims.The weakening of bright-line rules is in favor of concerns about the essence of the invention,to avoid being improperly circumvent,and to be more inclusive for new technologies.After the Bilski case,CAFC illus-trates the prohibition against patents for “abstract idea”through a series of business method patent eligibility case,for example,“the method is fully executed by the human mind”is not a patent-eligible application;a patent-eligible claim must include one or more substantive limitations;the practical application of abstract concepts is patent eligible subject matter;business method device and system may also be abstractive.These flexible,pragmatic approaches and adminis-trative programs aimed to improve the quality of business method patents will make a more positive outlook.