USPTO SCHEDULES ROUNDTABLE ON SOFTWARE BUSINESS METHOD PATENTS

The United States Patent and Trademark OfficeÂ’s (USPTO) is holding a roundtable meeting on Thursday, July 27, 2000, to discuss the history and present practices relating to computer-implemented business method patents and to identify ways to improve USPTO's current examination approach to these applications. Jim Crowne, of BNA's Patent, Trademark & Copyright Journal, will moderate the roundtable. The list of roundtable participants is attached to this advisory.

The roundtable is part of the business method patent initiative announced by the agency on March 29, 2000 ( http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/com/speeches/00-22.htm ). The initiative has two major components -- industry outreach and quality initiatives. The industry outreach programs include customer partnerships with industry, the July 27 ^th roundtable, and industry feedback on issues relating to prior art. The quality programs encompass steps to enhance the technical training of examiners, revise the examination guidelines and examples, and expand current prior art search activities. A white paper outlining the history and current UPSTO practices concerning software-related business method patents is available at http://www.uspto.gov/web/menu/busmethp/index.html .

WHAT: Computer-Related Business Method Patents Roundtable

WHEN: Thursday, July 27, 2000
             9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (EST)

WHERE: Crystal City Sheraton Hotel
              1800 Jefferson Davis Highway
              Ballrooms B&C, 2nd Floor
              Arlington, VA 22202

PANEL PARTICIPANTS

Computer-Related Business Method Patents Roundtable

Thursday, July 27, 2000

NAME AFFILIATION

Armitage, Robert Eli Lilly & Co.

Banner, Pamela I. Banner & Witcoff, LTD

Goldberg, Eric M. American Insurance Association

Keyack, Albert DirectWeb, Inc.

Kuester, Jeffrey R. Thomas, Kayden, Horstemeyer & Risley, LLP

Kupferschmid, Keith Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA)

Kursman, Scott Securities Industry Association (SIA)

Kushan, Jeffrey P. Powell, Goldstein, Frazer & Murphy, LLP

Laurie, Ron Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP

Lerner, Joshua Harvard Business School

Linck, Nancy Guilford Pharmaceuticals

James, Love Consumer Project on Technology

Menell, Peter University of California School of Law

Nydegger, Rick Wortman, Nydegger & Seeley/AIPLA

O'Reilly, Tim O'Reilly Publishing

Riedinger, Jerry A. Perkins Coie

Romain, Patrick Merrill Lynch

Sander, Scott C. SIGHTSOUND.COM

Tenney, Glenn S. Institute for Electrical & Electronics Engineers (IEEE)

Thomas, Jay George Washington University Law School

Wallach, Steven I. Pennie & Edmonds, LLP

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United States Patent and Trademark Office

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Last Modified: 7/4/2009 7:58:24 PM