Patent Breakout IIB: Patenting Tomorrows Data Security Technology: - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Patent Breakout IIB: “Patenting Tomorrow’s Data Security Technology: Navigating the PTO in a Post-Alice Environment"

Theodore Wood Parks Wood LLC 5 June 2015

By: T he o do re Wo o d

• Dr. Ma rc Da ndin

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Ove r vie w

• Curso ry Alic e Summa ry
• Sub je c t Ma tte r E

lig ib ility E xa mina tio n (De c 2014 PT O I nte rim Guida nc e )

• Po st-Alic e Pro se c utio n Stra te g ie s (E

xa mine r T ips via in-pe rso n I nte rvie ws)

• Po st-Alic e Applic a tio n Dra fting Stra te g ie s
• Co nc lusio n

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35 U.S.C. § 101

“Who e ve r inve nts o r disc o ve rs a ny ne w a nd use ful pr

• c e ss, mac hine,

manufac tur e , or c omposition of matte r , or any ne w and use ful impr

• ve me nt the r

e of, ma y o b ta in a pa te nt the re fo r, sub je c t to the

c o nditio ns a nd re q uire me nts o f this title .”

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Alic e v. CL S Ba nk Summa ry

• Holding: Cla ims we re dra wn to a pate nt- ine ligible abstr

ac t ide a a nd

no t e lig ib le fo r pa te nt pro te c tio n unde r 35 U.S.C. 101

• Implic ations
• Alic e e xte nds b e yo nd so ftwa re -re la te d o r b usine ss me tho d c a se s
• Me re imple me nta tio n o f a c o nve ntio na l me tho d o n a c o mpute r is

no t pa te nt e lig ib le

Subje c t Ma tte r E lig ibility E xa mina tion Guida nc e (De c 2014 Inte rim Guida nc e )

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Subje c t Ma tte r E lig ibility E xa mina tion Guide line s (De c 2014 Inte rim Guida nc e )

• ST

E P 1: I

s the c la im dire c te d to a pa te nt-e lig ib le c o nc e pt? i.e . is the c la im dire c te d to o ne o f a pro c e ss, ma c hine , ma nufa c ture , o r c o mpo sitio n o f ma tte r, o r a ny ne w a nd use ful impro ve me nt the re o f… (if YE S)

• ST

E P 2A: I

s the c la im dire c te d to a judic ially r

e c ognize d e xc e ption? (I

f YE S g o to 2B)

• ST

E P 2B: Do e s the c la im re c ite signific antly mor e tha n the judic ia lly re c o g nize d

e xc e ptio n? (if YE S, c la im is e lig ib le )

2-ste p pro c e ss unde r the Mayo fra me wo rk:

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Judic ia lly Re c og nize d E xc e ptions

1) L a w o f Na ture 2) Na tura l Phe no me no n 3) Ab stra c t I de a a ) ma the ma tic a l fo rmula b ) he dg ing c ) o rg a nizing info rma tio n thro ug h ma the ma tic a l c o rre la tio ns d) c re a ting a c o ntra c tua l re la tio nship e ) o rg a nizing huma n a c tivitie s f) funda me nta l e c o no mic pra c tic e

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Post- Alic e Prose c ution Stra te g ie s (E xa mine r T ips)

Ste p 1: I de ntify (a lle g e d) a b stra c t ide a Ste p 2A: Arg ue witho ut a me ndme nt c laim not dir

e c te d to judic ially r e c ognize d e xc e ption. Must sho w tha t wha t E

xa mine r a lle g e s is a b stra c t ide a is no t a n ide a “in a nd o f itse lf” a nd he nc e no t a n a b stra c t ide a Ste p 2B: Arg ue with o r witho ut a me ndme nt c la im a dds signific antly mo r e to a lle g e d a b stra c t ide a

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• Co nduc t E

xa mine r inte rvie w (mo re impo rta nt tha n e ve r)

• Add struc tura l fe a ture s to c la ims,
• I

nc o rpo ra te no ve lty o f struc tura l fe a ture s into c la ims

• Add ste ps tha t re c ite “tra nsfo rma tio n” o f da ta , inste a d o f me re re c e iving

a nd se nding da ta

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Post- Alic e Prose c ution Stra te g ie s (c ont.)

• L

imit use o f wo rds like “the inve ntio n c a n b e imple me nte d o n a c ompute r, a PDA, a c e ll phone or

the like ”

• I

f the re ’ s o nly a 101 re je c tio n, ste p 2A c a n b e a rg ue d b y sub mitting tha t the ide a is no t a b stra c t (in c a se o f a funda me nta l e c o no mic pra c tic e ) sinc e it wa s fo und b y the Offic e to b e no n-o b vio us a nd no ve l. But…

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Post- Alic e Prose c ution Stra te g ie s (c ont.)

“Signific antly Mor e ”

• Sig nific a ntly mo re is not simply “mo re ”
• T

he c la ims must pro vide so me de g re e o f impro ve me nt to the c urre nt te c hno lo g y in o rde r to pa ss the “sig nific a ntly mo re ” b a r!

• Applying judic ia l e xc e ptio n b y use o f a pa rtic ula r ma c hine
• E

ffe c ting tra nsfo rma tio n o f pa rtic ula r a rtic le to a diffe re nt sta te

• Othe rs

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T he abstr ac t ide a: “pro c e ssing / mo difying an imag e o n a c o mpute r.”

• 1. A me tho d, e xe c ute d b y a c o mpute r c o mprising a pro c e sso r,

the me tho d c o mprising : re c e iving , b y the pro c e sso r, a n ima g e ; a pplying a filte r o n the ima g e to g e ne ra te a filte re d ima g e ; a nd se nding the filte re d ima g e to a se rve r. (Sa mple Re je c te d Cla im)

Signific antly Mor e (c ont.)

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• 1. (Ame nde d) A me tho d, e xe c ute d b y a c o mpute r c o mprising a

pro c e sso r, the me tho d c o mprising : re c e iving , b y the pro c e sso r, a n ima g e ; a pplying a filte r o n the ima g e to g e ne ra te a filte re d ima g e ; a nd g e ne ra ting a filte re d ima g e , the g e ne ra ting inc luding a pplying a filte r o n the ima g e b y e q ua lizing a n RGB histo g ra m o f the ima g e ; a nd se nding the filte re d ima g e to a se rve r.

(Sa mple Ame nde d Cla im)

Caution: Ame ndme nt sho uld a mplify c o re inve ntive c onc e pt

Signific antly Mor e (c ont.)

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Sa mple Arg ume nt

• “E

ve n a ssuming , arg ue ndo , tha t the c la im re c ite s a n a b stra c t ide a a s a lle g e d in the Offic e Ac tio n, the c la ims inc lude s sig nific a ntly more tha n the a lle g e d a b stra c t ide a . Na me ly, the c la im re c ite s ‘ a pplying a filte r o n the ima g e using a n RGB histo g ra m o f the ima g e .’ As suc h, the c la im is e lig ib le unde r 35 U.S.C. 101.”

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Dr afting Alic e - ”r e sistant” Spe c ific ations

• Cle a rly a nd re pe a te dly hig hlig ht c o re inve ntive c o nc e pt
• T

ra nsfo rm g e ne ra l purpo se c o mpute r syste m into spe c ia l purpo se c o mpute r

• I

de ntify p a rts o f the inve ntio n tha t c anno t b e pe rfo rme d witho ut a c o mpute r o r the disc lo se d a ppa ra tus

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Ge ne ric Compute r Syste m

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Non- g e ne ric Compute r Syste m

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A me tho d fo r a n o rg a niza tio n ha ving multiple e xisting syste ms with we b inte rfa c e s fo r a c c e pting c a rd numb e rs to c o mply with the PCI da ta se c urity sta nda rd, the me tho d c o mprising : a ) e mb e dding , in the we b inte rfa c e s o f e a c h o f the e xisting syste ms, se c ure re dire c to r c o de fo r se nding c a rd numb e rs to a ne w site ; b ) whe n a use r sub mits a c a rd numb e r to a n e xisting syste m, the se c ure re dire c to r c o de se nding the c a rd numb e r to the ne w site a nd re c e iving a string o f ra ndo m numb e rs in re turn; c ) the e xisting syste m pro c e e ding with a tra nsa c tio n using the string o f ra ndo m numb e rs a s a re pla c e me nt fo r the c a rd numb e r; a nd d) a t the e nd o f the tra nsa c tio n, pro c e ssing pa yme nt b y using the string o f ra ndo m numb e rs a s a n inde x into a ta b le c o nta ining the c a rd numb e r.

“Dra ft Complia nc e ” Cla im… Hypothe tic a l (E a rlie r Pre se nta tion)

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• ST

E P 1: I

s the c la im dire c te d to a pa te nt-e lig ib le c o nc e pt? i.e . is the c la im dire c te d to

• ne o f a pro c e ss, ma c hine , … (YE

S)

• ST

E P 2A: I

s the c la im dire c te d to a judic ia lly re c o g nize d e xc e ptio n?

• Ye s. Ab stra c t ide a .
• ST

E P 2B: Do e s c la im re c ite signific antly mor e tha n the judic ia lly re c o g nize d e xc e ptio n?

• No (simila r to Ultrame rc ial c a se – c ite d in De c 2014 PT

O I nte rim Guida nc e )

2- ste p pr

• c e ss unde r

the Mayo fr ame wor k:

Applic a tion of Subje c t Ma tte r E lig ibility Ana lysis to “Dra ft Complia nc e ” Cla im

A me tho d , fo r use in a syste m inc lud ing fo r a n o rg a niza tio n ha ving multiple e xisting syste ms with we b inte rfa c e s c o nfig ure d to a c c e pt fo r a c c e pting c a rd numb e rs to c o mply in c o mplia nc e with the PCI d a ta se c urity sta nd a rd , the me tho d c o mprising : a ) e mb e d d ing , in e a c h o f the we b inte rfa c e s o f e a c h o f the e xisting syste ms, se c ure re d ire c to r c o d e fo r se nd ing c a rd numbe rs to a ne w site ; b ) re c e iving , b y the syste m, a c a rd numb e r in a t le a st o ne we b inte rfa c e ; c ) se nd ing , b y the syste m, using a se c ure re d ire c to r mo d ule e mb e d de d in the a t le a st o ne we b inte rfa c e , the c a rd numb e r to a ne w site ; d ) re c e iving , b y the syste m, in re spo nse to the se nd ing , a string o f ra nd o m numbe rs; whe n a use r submits a c a rd numbe r to a n e xisting syste m, the se c ure re d ire c to r c o d e se nd ing the c a rd numb e r to the ne w site a nd re c e iving a string o f ra nd o m numb e rs in re turn; e ) g e ne ra ting , b y the syste m, a d a ta struc ture inc lud ing (i) the c a rd numb e r a s a fie ld value a nd (ii) the string o f ra nd o m numb e rs a s a n ind e x c o rre spo nd ing to the fie ld va lue ; f) the e xisting syste m pro c e e d ing with a tra nsa c tio n using the string o f ra nd o m numb e rs a s a re pla c e me nt fo r the c a rd numb e r; a nd g ) e xtra c ting , b y the syste m, the ind e x fro m the d a ta struc ture to pro c e ss a pa yme nt fo r a tra nsa c tio n. h) a t the e nd o f the tra nsa c tio n, pro c e ssing pa yme nt b y using the string o f ra nd o m numbe rs a s a n ind e x into a ta b le c o nta ining the c a rd numb e r.

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“Dra ft Complia nc e ” Sa mple Cla im Ame ndme nt

A me tho d, fo r use in a syste m inc luding multiple we b inte rfa c e s c o nfig ure d to a c c e pt c a rd numb e rs in c o mplia nc e with the PCI da ta se c urity sta nda rd, the me tho d c o mprising : a ). re c e iving , b y the syste m, a c a rd numb e r in a t le a st o ne we b inte rfa c e ; b ). se nding , b y the syste m, using a se c ure re dire c to r mo d ule e mb e dd e d in the a t le a st o ne we b inte rfa c e , the c a rd numb e r to a ne w site ; c ). re c e iving , b y the syste m, in re spo nse to the se nding , a string o f ra ndo m numb e rs; d ). g e ne ra ting , b y the syste m, a da ta struc ture inc luding (i) the c a rd numb e r a s a fie ld va lue a nd (ii) the string o f ra ndo m numb e rs a s a n inde x c o rre spo nding to the fie ld va lue ; e ). e xtra c ting , b y the syste m, the ind e x fro m the da ta struc ture to pro c e ss a pa yme nt fo r a tra nsa c tio n. 21

“Dra ft Complia nc e ” Sa mple Cla im Ame ndme nt (c ont.)

• Alic e I

mplic a tio ns

• Sub je c t Ma tte r E

lig ib ility E xa mina tio n (2014 PT O I nte rim Guide line s)

• Po st-Alic e Pro se c utio n Stra te g ie s (via E

xa mine r inte rvie ws)

• Po st-Alic e Applic a tio n Dra fting Stra te g ie s

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Conc lusion

E nd o f the Ro a d Que stions?

T he o do re Wo o d Pa rks Wo o d L L C 240-477-8581 two o d@ Pa rks-Wo o d .c o m

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