Bilski v. Kappos amicus briefs

This is a list of amicus briefs submitted for the 2009 Bilski v. Kappos case in the Supreme Court of the USA.

Please add briefs here. Analyses are also welcome, as are links to discussions of the briefs.

Briefs that discuss software prominently

Categorising the briefs

On this page, we've decided not to categorise the briefs by who they support. Such categorisation can be misleading because two briefs can easily hold opposing views but still both support the same party - "with clarifications". This is the case for the briefs of Red Hat (anti-swpat) and IEEE-USA (pro-swpat).

Regarding terminology, briefs which support "the respondant" or "affirmance" are in favour of upholding the 2008 in re Bilski CAFC ruling (albeit with clarification which might change it radically). And briefs which support "the petitioner" are briefs which want the 2008 CAFC ruling overruled.

For want of a better classification, we've categorised the briefs by their relation to swpat.org's focus: software patents.

AGAINST software patents

• FSF's brief, (see also: FSF, and their press release)
  • Discussion: LWN.net, Groklaw, SFLC podcast
  • Please give feedback on this letter via the Bilski 3 project
• Google and 6 financial institutions' brief
  • Details: Google
• Red Hat's brief, (see also: Red Hat, and their press release)
  • Discussion: Groklaw, LWN.net, Ars, Slashdot
• SFLC's brief, (see also: SFLC, and their press release)
  • Discussion: Groklaw, Slashdot
• FFII and IP Justice's brief, (see also: FFII and IP Justice, and their press release)
• http://keionline.org/node/634

FOR software patents

• Professor Lee Hollaar and IEEE-USA's brief (see also: IEEE-USA)
  • Discussion: Groklaw
• IBM's brief (see also: IBM)
  • Discussion: Slashdot
• Microsoft, Philips, and Symantec's brief (see also: Microsoft, Philips, and Symantec)
  • Discussion: Groklaw, and further Groklaw discussion

Complete list of briefs

The most complete list is at: http://www.abanet.org/publiced/preview/briefs/nov09.shtml#bilski

Please add briefs alphabetically.

• AIPLA (supporting neither party): http://www.patentlyo.com/08-964-american-intellectual-property-law-association.pdf
• AIPPI (supporting reversal): http://www.patentlyo.com/aippi-supremecourt_3455697.pdf
• Accenture and Pitney Bowes, Inc. (supporting petitioner): http://www.patentlyo.com/08-964-tsac-accenture-and-pitney-bowes-inc.pdf
• American Bar Association (supporting respondent): http://www.abanet.org/publiced/preview/briefs/pdfs/09-10/08-964_RespondentAmCuABA.pdf
• American Insurance Association, Hartford Financial Services, Jackson National Life Insurance Company, Pacific Life Insurance Company, Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada (U.S.), and Transamerica Life Insurance Company (supporting respondent): http://www.abanet.org/publiced/preview/briefs/pdfs/09-10/08-964_RespondentAmCu6InsuranceCos.pdf
• Armanta, Asentinel, Cybersource, and Hooked Wireless ("Entrepreneurial Software Companies") (supporting petitioner): http://www.patentlyo.com/08-964-entrepreneurial-software-companies.pdf
• Austin Intellectual Property Law Association: http://www.patentlyo.com/08-964-austin-intellectual-property-law-association.pdf
• AwakenIP (supporting petitioner): http://www.patentlyo.com/08-964-awakenip.pdf
• BIO, AdvaMed, WARF and U of Calif: http://www.patentlyo.com/08-964-tsac-biotechnology-industry-organization-et-al..pdf
• BSA: http://www.patentlyo.com/08-964-business-software-alliance.pdf
• Borland (supporting petitioner): http://www.patentlyo.com/amicus-curiae-brief-borland-software-corporation.pdf
• Boston Patent Law Association (supporting petitioner): http://www.patentlyo.com/08-964tsacbostonpatentlaw.pdf
• Caris Diagnostics (supporting petitioner): http://www.patentlyo.com/08-964-caris-diagnostics-inc.pdf
• Chakrabarty: http://www.patentlyo.com/08-964-chakrabarty.pdf
• Chicago IP Law Association: http://www.patentlyo.com/08-964-ac-intellectual-property-association-of-chicago.pdf
• Conejo Valley Bar Association: http://www.patentlyo.com/08-964.ac.conejo-valley-bar-association.pdf
• Dolby Labs: http://www.patentlyo.com/08-964-dolby-laboratories-et-al..pdf
• Double Rock and other IP entities (supporting petitioner): http://www.patentlyo.com/08-964tsacdoublerockcorporation.pdf
• Dr. Timothy F. McDounough (supporting petitioner): http://www.patentlyo.com/08-964_petitioneramcutmcdounough.pdf
• Eagle Forum Education and Legal Defense Fund (supporting petitioner): http://www.abanet.org/publiced/preview/briefs/pdfs/07-08/08-964_PetitionerAmCuEagleForumELDF.pdf
• EFF (joining "Entrepreneurial and Computer Advocates": EFF, Public Knowledge, Kauffman Foundation, Brad Feld, Robert J. Glushko, Mitchell Kapor, Jason Mendelson, Tim O'Reilly and Eric von Hippel) (supporting respondent): the brief, press release
• Eleven Law Professors (Sarnoff et al.) and AARP (supporting respondent): http://www.abanet.org/publiced/preview/briefs/pdfs/09-10/08-964_RespondentAmCu11LawProfsandAARP.pdf
• FICPI: http://www.patentlyo.com/08-964-ficpi.pdf
• Franklin Pierce Law Center (supporting petitioner): http://www.patentlyo.com/bilski.pdf
• Georgia Biomedical Partnership, Inc. (supporting petitioner): http://www.patentlyo.com/08-964-georgia-biomedical-partnership-inc.pdf
• Houston Intellectual Property Law Association (supporting petitioner): http://www.patentlyo.com/08-964-houston-ip-law-assoc..pdf
• Intellectual Property Owners: http://www.patentlyo.com/08-964acintellectualproperty.pdf
• Intellectual Property Section of the Nevada State Bar (supporting respondent): http://www.abanet.org/publiced/preview/briefs/pdfs/07-08/08-964_RespondentAmCuNevadaIPSectionnew.pdf
• Internet Retailers (Crutchfield, Newegg, L.L. Bean, Overstock.com, J.C. Penney, Talbots, and Hasbro) (supporting respondent): http://www.abanet.org/publiced/preview/briefs/pdfs/09-10/08-964_RespondentAmCuInternetRetailers.pdf
• John Sutton (supporting petitioner): http://www.abanet.org/publiced/preview/briefs/pdfs/07-08/08-964_PetitionerAmCuJSutton.pdf
• Twenty Law Professors (Lemley et al.): http://www.patentlyo.com/08-964ac20lawandbusinessprofessors.pdf
• Medtronic: http://www.patentlyo.com/08-964-medtronic.pdf
• Monogram BioSciences and Genomic Health: http://www.patentlyo.com/08-964-ac-monogram-biosciences-inc.pdf
• Raymond C. Meiers: http://www.patentlyo.com/08-964-raymond-c.-meiers.pdf
• Novartis (supporting petitioner): http://www.patentlyo.com/08-964tsacnovartiscorporation.pdf
• PhRMA, etc: http://www.patentlyo.com/08-964-phrma-et-al..pdf
• Regulatory Data Corp: http://www.patentlyo.com/08-964-regulatory-datacorp-et-al..pdf
• Sachs and Brownstone: http://www.patentlyo.com/08-964-ac-robert-r.-sachs.pdf
• State of Oregon: http://www.patentlyo.com/08-964_neutralamcuoregon.pdf
• Telecommunication Systems, Inc. (supporting neither party): http://www.patentlyo.com/08-964nsactelecommunicationsystemsinc.pdf
• Teles AG: http://www.patentlyo.com/08-964-teles-ag.pdf
• Time Systems: http://www.patentlyo.com/08-964-ac-on-time-systems.pdf
• University of South Florida (supporting petitioner): http://www.patentlyo.com/08-964-university-of-south-florida.pdf
• Washington State Patent Law Association (supporting petitioner): http://www.abanet.org/publiced/preview/briefs/pdfs/07-08/08-964_PetitionerAmCuWAPLA.pdf
• William Mitchell College of Law Intellectual Property Institute (supporting respondent): http://www.abanet.org/publiced/preview/briefs/pdfs/09-10/08-964_RespondentAmCuWilliamMitchellLawIPI.pdf
• Yahoo's brief: http://www.patentlyo.com/bilski---yahoo-amicus-brief-s.ct-as-filed-8-6-09.pdf

Sources:

• Patently-o article with links to 44 briefs, August 10th 2009

Related pages on ESP Wiki

• in re Bilski - the 2008 case in the Court of Appeals (CAFC)
• Case law in the USA - for more information about the rulings mentioned in these briefs
• Consultations from patent offices, governments, and courts

External links

• SCOTUSblog: Bilski v. Kappos, including their analyis titled "Amicus briefs" a little bit under the Argument Preview section