Supreme Court Grants Certiorari Petition in Bilski v. Doll

CHICAGO, June 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione, one of the
largest intellectual property law firms in the United States is pleased that
the Supreme Court has granted the certiorari petition in Bilski v. Doll.

In March 2009, on behalf of its client Accenture and Pitney Bowes, Brinks
filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court, supporting the granting of a
petition for certiorari. The brief requested that the Supreme Court review
the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit's decision to uphold the
rejection of a patent application on a method for managing risk in commodities
trading - a complex business method. The denial of the original patent
application and the Federal Circuit's subsequent decision to uphold the denial
has created turmoil among inventors and corporations seeking to protect
business methods and other cutting-edge processes patents.

"The Supreme Court has always interpreted section 101 broadly to encourage
invention and innovation," said Wayne P. Sobon, Accenture's Associate General
Counsel and Director of Intellectual Property who submitted the brief with the
Brinks firm for Accenture. "Process patents protect significant investments
in research and development and Accenture, along with many other companies and
individuals, may lose existing and future patent rights if the rigid
machine-or-transformation test is allowed to stand. Accenture's amicus brief
urged the court to restore a flexible approach to patent-eligible subject
matter."

"We are pleased to have participated in this matter on behalf of Accenture and
in the interest of the patent community. We look forward to a reversal of the
Bilski decision," said Joel W. Benson, a shareholder at Brinks and an attorney
in this matter.

In addition to Mr. Benson, the Brinks attorneys who prepared the amicus brief
are Meredith Martin Addy and Charles M. McMahon.

Mr. Sobon is available for comment and can be contacted directly at
wayne.p.sobon@accenture.com. Also, Mr. Benson is available for comment and
may be contacted directly at jbenson@usebrinks.com.

Founded in 1917, Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione is based in Chicago with five
additional offices across the country serving the intellectual property needs
of clients from around the world. The firm is one of the largest IP law firms
in the country, with more than 170 attorneys, scientific advisors and patent
agents specializing in intellectual property litigation and all aspects of
patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret, unfair competition, intellectual
asset management, and technology and licensing agreements. Brinks routinely
handles assignments in fields as diverse as electrical, chemical, mechanical,
biotechnology, pharmaceutical, nanotechnology, Internet and computer
technology, as well as in trademarks and brand names for a wide variety of
products and services. For more information, please visit www.usebrinks.com.

CONTACT:
Sydney Iglitzen
(312) 840-3163
siglitzen@usebrinks.com

SOURCE Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione

Sydney Iglitzen of Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione, +1-312-840-3163,
siglitzen@usebrinks.com