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CHICAGO - 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@brinkshofer.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.