Pushing the Bounds of What's Patentable

New and converging technology continue to push the bounds of what is patentable. Business method patents may be patent-eligible, but what separates a patentable method from a mere abstract idea or phenomenon of nature? How has Bilski and its progeny impacted your patent procurement and enforcement strategy? This panel will examine the debate between having a competitive advantage vs. the greater good and how the following issues are affecting your business:

• Did the Supreme Court provide sufficient guidance to lower courts on the appropriate test for patent-eligibility? Is the “machine or transformation” test appropriate for all technologies?
  
• The impact of Bilski on procurement and enforcement strategies:
  
  
  
  
  
  • How to draft patent claims most likely to survive a § 101 challenge
    
  • How the Supreme Court’s decision will impact litigation tactics
  
  
• The repercussions for innovation
  
• Revised approaches for protecting proprietary methods

Panelists:

• Paul Hunter, Vice Chair, Electronics Practice
  
• Steve Rizzi, Chair, China Practice
  
• James Smith, Associate GC & Chief IP Officer, Baxter Healthcare Corporation
  
• E. Earle Thompson, Chief Intellectual Property Counsel, SanDisk Corporation
  
• Mialeeka Williams, Counsel, The Coca-Cola Company
  
• Michael Whitehead, Chief Counsel, Intellectual Property, The Lincoln Electric Company