有關101專利適格性議題，這是個法律議題，在專利上，仍脫離不了技術討論，當用「整體」功效與範圍來看專利適格性時，不免要討論到使用與先前技術的差別來找「可以轉換抽象概念為可專利應用的額外元件」，這時，雖有其他案例的判斷參考，但是...本篇卻特別地討論到現有技術的作法與審查歷史的記錄。
案件資訊：
原告/上訴人/專利權人：UNILOC USA, INC., UNILOC LUXEMBOURG S.A., UNILOC 2017 LLC
被告/被上訴人：ADP, LLC / BIG FISH GAMES, INC. / BITDEFENDER, INC., KASPERSKY LAB, INC.
系爭專利：US7,069,293、US6,324,578、US6,510,466、US6,728,766
判決日：May 24, 2019
本案關聯幾件訴訟，因此一個法院的決定可能影響另一平行訴訟，緣起原告向被告在地方法院提起侵權訴訟，但經被告提起專利無效請願後，地院判決專利無效、撤銷侵權訴訟。案件上訴CAFC。
系爭專利之一US7,069,293關於應用程式在網路散布的管理方法，提出的伺服器提供隨選（on-demand）下載應用程式的服務，執行於使用者端的程式由系統提供，可以依照使用者喜好設定，用以管理授權使用者下載與使用軟體的事宜。
1. A method for distribution of application programs to a target on-demand server on a network comprising the following executed on a centralized network management server coupled to the network:
providing an application program to be distributed to the network management server;
specifying a source directory and a target directory for distribution of the application program;
preparing a file packet associated with the application program and including a segment configured to initiate registration operations for the application program at the target on-demand server; and
distributing the file packet to the target on-demand server to make the application program available for use by a user at a client.
US6,324,578的Claim 1：
1. A method for management of configurable application programs on a network comprising the steps of:
installing an application program having a plurality of configurable preferences and a plurality of authorized users on a server coupled to the network;
distributing an application launcher program associated with the application program to a client coupled to the network;
obtaining a user set of the plurality of configurable preferences associated with one of the plurality of authorized users executing the application launcher program;
obtaining an administrator set of the plurality of configurable preferences from an administrator; and
executing the application program using the obtained user set and the obtained administrator set of the plurality of configurable preferences responsive to a request from the one of the plurality of authorized users.
US6,510,466的Claim 1：
1. A method for management of application programs on a network including a server and a client comprising the steps of:
installing a plurality of application programs at the server;
receiving at the server a login request from a user at the client;
establishing a user desktop interface at the client associated with the user responsive to the login request from the user, the desktop interface including a plurality of display regions associated with a set of the plurality of application programs installed at the server for which the user is authorized;
receiving at the server a selection of one of the plurality of application programs from the user desktop interface; and
providing an instance of the selected one of the plurality of application programs to the client for execution responsive to the selection.
US6,728,766的Claim 1、7：
1. A method for management of license use for a network comprising the steps of:
maintaining license management policy information for a plurality of application programs at a license management server, the license management policy information including at least one of a user identity based policy, an administrator policy override definition or a user policy override definition;
receiving at the license management server a request for a license availability of a selected one of the plurality of application programs from a user at a client;
determining the license availability for the selected one of the plurality of application programs for the user based on the maintained license management policy information; and
providing an unavailability indication to the client responsive to the selection if the license availability indicates that a license is not available for the user or an availability indication if the licensed availability indicates that a license is available for the user.
7. A license use management system for a network comprising:
means for maintaining license management policy information for a plurality of application programs at a license management server, the license management policy information including at least one of a user identity based policy, an administrator policy override definition or a user policy override definition;
means for receiving at the license management server a request for a license availability of a selected one of the plurality of application programs from a user at a client;
means for determining the license availability for the selected one of the plurality of application programs for the user based on the maintained license management policy information; and
means for providing an unavailability indication to the client responsive to the selection if the license availability indicates that a license is not available for the user or an availability indication if the licensed availability indicates that a license is available for the user.
根據CAFC判決書，本案議題不只是專利適格性，還有時間、修正、訴訟立場等，但這裡僅討論35 U.S.C. § 101議題。
同樣地採用TWO-STEP規則，但我覺得TWO-STEP rules仍是模糊而概念性的，但本次法官提出了有效而具體可用的判斷方法。
step one：判斷申請專利範圍是否涉及不可專利標的，對於這個很"抽象"的表示，本案例CAFC法官採用的態度是：先評估專利與先前技術的進步特徵，以判斷整體專利特性，並參考說明書內容，是否涉及了不可專利標的？（編按，法院在此的判斷方式頗為具體可實施，即利用先前技術與說明書來評估專利範圍整體是否為不可專利標的）
"we evaluate “the focus of the claimed advance over the prior art” to determine if the character of the claim as a whole, considered in light of the specification, is directed to excluded subject matter."
step two：考量每項申請專利範圍的元件的個別與其組合，以判斷是否有額外元件（additional element）可以轉換專利範圍（抽象概念）為可專利應用？法院的方式是，仔細地查看申請專利範圍的元件中是否具有可以識別出進步特徵（inventive concept）的元件。
"looks more precisely at what the claim elements add” to determine if “they identify an inventive concept in the application of the ineligible matter to which . . . the claim is directed."
以下就各系爭專利是否具有專利適格性逐一判斷與筆記。（編按，我認為，答辯時可以從中學習並採用其中有利於自己的講法）
A. ’293 Patent
專利關於讓使用者自伺服器下載並安裝管理程式執行授權管理的技術，運行時，使用者通過下載一個片段的程式後執行註冊授權後，才能取得完整的程式，被告（被上訴人）認為這個專利關於中心化的軟體管理技術，僅為抽象概念。
不過，CAFC法官認為，'293案的技術特徵看來不僅是抽象概念，雖如被告認為這是一個中心化散布軟體的技術，法官用「整體」技術來看（說明書、先前技術、答辯歷史），認為專利範圍提出了如何執行這個方式的方案，也就是使用一段檔案封包作為啟始註冊授權的方式，且沒有前案記錄顯示這是習知的方法，使得法院判斷'293案屬於電腦功能的改良，不屬於抽象概念（連step two都不用判斷），具有專利適格性。
B. ’578 Patent
此案技術提到伺服器取得使用者與管理者的偏好，使得系統可以提供客製化的軟體程式。法官同意專利權人主張此專利並非使用習知技術元件的功能性專利，反而是使用習知伺服系統以特殊方式提供使用者端隨選軟體的技術，使用了two-tier的方案，不能說是一般的規則，也是屬於電腦技術的改良，如Enfish案。
參考報導：
- 美國專利局提供針對"Enfish"與"TLI"案例的審查方針（https://enpan.blogspot.com/2016/05/usptoenfishtli.html）
- 改善電腦技術的軟體方法具有可專利性？ - Enfish LLC v Microsoft (Fed. Cir. 2016)
（http://enpan.blogspot.tw/2016/05/enfish-llc-v-microsoft-fed-cir-2016.html）
法院認為'578雖是抽象的（step one），但在step two檢驗下為可專利標的，其中的判斷多少也隱含了與先前技術的比對。
C. ’466 Patent
雖地方法院認為'466案為抽象而不可專利標的，但CAFC法官關注其中是否有超越先前技術的特徵（"focus of the claimed advance over the prior art"）以及專利範圍的整體特點（"the character of the claim as a whole"），認為專利範圍並沒有提出特別的軟體方法，認為'466僅是使用電腦介面存取伺服器的技術。
法院的具體看法是，'466使用桌面介面使用習知軟體程式存取習知伺服器，為抽象概念，也沒有改善網路架構，沒有包括可以超越此範圍本身的技術，並未超越抽象概念。
D. ’766 Patent
原告主張'766案提出的是讓啟動使用者授權管理的網路架構，並不同於過去授權方式，因此為改善電腦功能的技術。但回到專利範圍，其中描述的是伺服端根據使用者身份與策略通知使用者端無法軟體程式，例如授權到期，法院認為，這樣的專利範圍僅是資訊的收集、分析與顯示，並沒有超越抽象概念。
法院忠於申請專利範圍的內容，認為專利權人企圖重新構造專利範圍（reframe），但是專利範圍卻不是這樣，其中所達成的功效也不是專利權人那樣說的。（編按，因此'766面對的情況有些不同）
如此，使得'766案與過去軟體授權方式沒有顯著差異，也沒有包括step two需要的進步特徵（inventive concept），且如果發明僅是改善了速度或效能，不足以讓抽象概念轉變為可專利應用。
因此，CAFC法官否決部分地院決定。
判決文：
http://www.cafc.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/opinions-orders/18-1132.Opinion.5-24-2019.pdf（備份：https://app.box.com/s/1t8w1mgnprocmxz50kkv0j3dg4muohfl）
資料參考：
Ron
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