Bilski v. Kappos: The Blockbuster That Was a Bust

The Federal Circuit Court of Appeals issued a decision holding that a business method was patentable only if it was tied to a particular machine or apparatus, or if it transformed a particular article into a different state or thing. The Supreme Court concluded that this test was too rigid, but didn't substitute another test. Although all nine Justices concluded that Bilski’s claimed invention — a method of hedging risk in commodities trading — wasn't patentable, there wasn't a consensus on why this was the case.