In a case that could have broad implications for software patents, the Supreme Court last week held that an abstract idea does not qualify for patent protection merely by claiming that the idea can be implemented using a computer with generic hardware components. Rather, a patentee must claim “additional features” beyond generic components that transform the abstract idea into a particular application of the idea.

Alice Corp. Pty. Ltd. v. CLS Bank Int’l -

In Alice Corp., the Supreme Court decided that claims directed to using a computer as an intermediary to settle financial transactions were not eligible for patenting under 35 U.S.C. § 101.