AS we noted yesterday, the important decision on the Bilski case is not here yet. Patently-O commentators believe that "the delay might indicate (1) that the court will issue multiple opinions (concurrences or dissents); or (2) that the decision will be especially long."
They are probably right to be. A delay this long in the decision most likely means that the Court is waiting until the end of the term to release it - which they traditionally do for what the Justices consider to be their most important and/or far reaching decisions of the year.
It may also be the case that there are either important dissents or concurring opinions on the case, thus prompting a delay with back and forth rewrites and revisions to the final decisions. (Though one should recall that at oral arguments, the Justices seemed universally critical to the idea of broad-based business method patents.)
Amazon.com is famous for its 1-Click ordering system. But what about 1-Nod ordering? Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is seeking a patent on a system that would let people make purchases with a nod, a smile or even a raise of the eyebrow.
Called "Movement recognition as input mechanism," it envisions a computing device that could interpret certain facial expressions and enhance or potentially replace "conventional input devices such as keypads and touch screen."
ELEANOR HALL: Australia's biotechnology industry is warning that the court challenge being launched today against the patenting of human genetic material could kill off investment in the industry.
Lawyers have begun legal action against four biotechnology companies, which co-own the patent to the breast cancer gene.
They say companies shouldn't have the right to commercialise the human body.
But representatives of the biotechnology industry say the landmark legal case could stifle innovation and investment in important medical research.