The Practising Law Institute's Patent Center Will Provide Live Coverage of the Bilski Supreme Court Hearing

November 6, 2009

Legal education organization will live blog court proceedings for landmark intellectual property decision on November 9

WASHINGTON, Nov. 6 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On Monday, November 9, 2009, in Washington, D.C., the United States Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the much anticipated Bilski case, which could well decide whether business methods and software remain patentable in the United States.

The Practising Law Institute (PLI), the nation's largest producer of continuing legal education, will be present at this hearing, providing continuous updates throughout the day via its Patent Practice Center blog, an increasingly recognized forum for patent news and opinion

On October 30, 2008, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued its much anticipated decision in In re Bilski, which presented the central question of whether a purely mental process is patentable subject matter. The Federal Circuit addressed the issue so broadly that it ultimately affected the patent-eligibility of numerous software-related inventions. Many had been expecting a far-reaching decision that dealt a blow to "pure" business method patents, but few expected just how far-reaching the decision would be, or that it would call into question thousands of software patents granted over the last ten to fifteen years.

Throughout tomorrow's hearing, Eugene Quinn, Editor of PLI's Patent Center blog and founder of IPWatchdog, Inc., along with John White, Director of PLI Patent Professional Development, creator of the PLI Patent Bar Review Course, and a patent attorney with intellectual property firm Berenato, White & Stavish, LLC will be present on behalf of PLI.

Those wishing to remain up-to-date with the proceedings should visit PLI's Patent Center live blog for continuous updates throughout the day, leading up to the completion of the oral arguments in the afternoon.

Following the decision, Quinn and White will then participate in a PLI One-Hour Audio Briefing on Wednesday, November 11, 2009, from 1 P.M. to 2 P.M. ET, which will further discuss the hearing. Joining them on this briefing is Scott M. Alter of Faegre & Benson LLP and Douglas R. Nemec of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, both of whom, along with John White, are Co-Chairs of PLI's 4th Annual Patent Law Institute. The PLI audio briefing, titled Bilski Supreme Court Arguments: Eyewitness Report and Expert Analysis, will offer Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit and will be available via PLI's website.

About Practising Law Institute:

Practising Law Institute (PLI) is a non-profit continuing legal education organization chartered by the Regents of the University of the State of New York, founded in 1933. PLI is dedicated to providing the legal community and allied professionals with the most up-to-date, relevant information and techniques critical to the development of a professional, competitive edge. We achieve these goals through the highest quality seminars held annually in locations across the United States, regularly supplemented treatises, audio CDs and DVDs, MP3s, live Webcasts, Course Handbooks, CLE Now web programs and private label solutions, all with the guidance of practice specific Advisory Committees. PLI is headquartered in New York City and also maintains offices in California.

SOURCE Practising Law Institute