From ramon@jl1.quim.ucm.es  Tue Nov 21 16:45:02 2000
Date: Tue, 21 Nov 2000 17:45:02 +0100
From: Ram'on Garc'ia Fern'andez ramon@jl1.quim.ucm.es
Subject: [Patents] The bar of obviousness in US may be raising.

Very likely most of you know, but just in case let me tell you this one.

The Zurko case may set a precedent on raising the bar for non-obviousness 
patents:

"early rumors back at then-Digital had been that our patent was turned
down as a test case for setting back the bar for non-obviousness"

(from http://www.tbtf.com/archive/1999-06-14.html)

Zurko filled a patent that was rejected by the patent office (the
patent was about a method for reducing the amount of trusted code in a
secure user interface). The CAFC (a court well known for its
pro-patent bias) agreed with Zurko, but the US Supreme Court reversed
the case.

Ramon





