SEC. 101
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
美國最高法院曾經對Process提出定義：
"a mode of treatment of certain materials to produce a given result. It is an act, or a series of acts, performed upon subject matter to be transformed and reduced to a different state or thing."
Process就是一個動作或是一連串作用於一個標的物(subject matter)的動作
美國專利審查對這方面好像很嚴格，希望這一連串動作(或一個)為一個技術手段，並需要產生特定功效，進而解決問題；卻也算寬鬆，因為只要提得出來ㄧ個或一連 串動作，並揭露這一連串動作有產生具新穎性與進步性的功效，似乎拿到專利並沒有太大門檻。
(雖 然KSR判例產生的效果可能造成這類發明不易證明非顯而易 見，愈來愈難拿到專利。希望我有本事、有時間可以討論這個判例)
列舉一些有點荒繆卻有趣的專利案
Method of Buying a Car -- U.S. Patent 5,825,651
Method of Buying Clothes -- U.S. Patent 5,930,769
Auction Method -- U.S. Patent 5,897,620
另外再舉個打高爾夫球推桿姿勢的專利 -- Method of Putting(U.S. Patent 5,616,089)
Claim 1:
1. A method of gripping a putter comprising the steps:
gripping a putter grip with a dominant hand; (握桿)
placing a non-dominant hand over an interior wrist portion of the dominant hand behind a thumb of the dominant hand; (將閒置的手放在握桿的手的大拇指後)
resting a middle finger of the non-dominant hand on the styloid process of the dominant hand; (閒置的手的中指...)
pressing a ring finger and a little finger of the non-dominant hand against the back of the dominant hand; (無名指與小指...)
pressing the palm of the non-dominant hand against a forward surface of the putter grip as the non-dominant hand squeezes the dominant hand. (閒置的手掌放在推桿的前面,緊握另一手...)
這些動作還真難形容
但是卻是一個核准的專利案
下次打高爾夫球小心有人跟你要權利金！ (其實該案已經因為沒有繳維護費而失效)
Ron
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