"In upholding a lower court ruling, the federal circuit wrote that a business process (like online banking) must be ‘tied to a machine’ or transform ‘a substance into a different state or thing’ in order to qualify for patent protection. This ‘machine or transformation’ test, as it is called, is too rigid to incite innovation.
If the circuit court ruling is upheld, it could have a negative effect on Connecticut technology companies where the ability to patent innovations in business systems is critical to be competitive and maintain customers."
Source: http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/editorials/hc-chaclas-pitney-patent.artoct30,0,5438710.story


