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Over the past decade, thousands of patents have been granted for what are called business methods. Amazon.com received one for its “one-click” online payment system. Merrill Lynch got legal protection for an asset allocation strategy. One inventor patented a technique for lifting a box.

Now the nation’s top patent court appears completely ready to scale back on business-method patents, which have been controversial ever since they were first authorized 10 years ago. In a move that has intellectual-property lawyers abuzz the U.S. court of Appeals for the federal circuit said it would use a particular case to conduct a broad review of business-method patents. In re Bilski , as the case is known , is “a very big deal”, says Dennis’D. Crouch of the University of Missouri School of law. It “has the potential to eliminate an entire class of patents.”

Curbs on business-method claims would be a dramatic about-face, because it was the federal circuit itself that introduced such patents with is 1998 decision in the so-called state Street Bank case, approving a patent on a way of pooling mutual-fund assets. That ruling produced an explosion in business-method patent filings, initially by emerging internet companies trying to stake out exclusive pinhts to specific types of online transactions. Later, move established companies raced to add such patents to their files, if only as a defensive move against rivals that might beat them to the punch. In 2005, IBM noted in a court filing that it had been issued more than 300 business-method patents despite the fact that it questioned the legal basis for granting them. Similarly, some Wall Street investment films armed themselves with patents for financial products, even as they took positions in court cases opposing the practice.

The Bilski case involves a claimed patent on a method for hedging risk in the energy market. The Federal circuit issued an unusual order stating that the case would be heard by all 12 of the court’s judges, rather than a typical panel of three, and that one issue it wants to evaluate is whether it should” reconsider” its state street Bank ruling.

The Federal Circuit’s action comes in the wake of a series of recent decisions by the supreme Count that has narrowed the scope of protections for patent holders. Last April, for example the justices signaled that too many patents were being upheld for “inventions” that are obvious. The judges on the Federal circuit are “reacting to the anti_ patent trend at the supreme court” ,says Harole C.wegner, a partend attorney and professor at aeorge Washington University Law School.

26. Business-method patents have recently aroused concern because of

[A] their limited value to business

[B] their connection with asset allocation

[C] the possible restriction on their granting

[D] the controversy over authorization

27. Which of the following is true of the Bilski case?

[A] Its ruling complies with the court decisions

[B] It involves a very big business transaction

[C] It has been dismissed by the Federal Circuit

[D] It may change the legal practices in the U.S.

28. The word “about-face” (Line 1, Paro 3) most probably means

[A] loss of good will

[B] increase of hostility

[C] change of attitude

[D] enhancement of dignity

29. We learn from the last two paragraphs that business-method patents

[A] are immune to legal challenges

[B] are often unnecessarily issued

[C] lower the esteem for patent holders

[D] increase the incidence of risks

30. Which of the following would be the subject of the text?

[A] A looming threat to business-method patents

[B] Protection for business-method patent holders

[C] A legal case regarding business-method patents

[D] A prevailing trend against business-method patents

       26 ． C

　　解析： 细节题。题干问及商业专利方法在最近引起关注的原因是是什么，解答本题应定位二段首句并结合一段的主旨要义。二段首句指出“国家最高专利法庭准备对商业方法专利进行缩减，这引起了了争议。”一段主要提及在过去 10 年商业方法授予了成千上万的专利。由此可见，选项 C 是对原文的同义置换故为正确答案。

　　27 ． B

　　解析： 推理判断题。文章在二段提及 Bilski case ，在四段提及对 Bilski case 的结论性说明，在四段中针对 Bilski case ，联邦机构发表了不同寻常的法令，而四段末句提到该法令引起对“ state street Bank ruling ”的是否重新考虑，由此可知 B 为正确答案。

　　28 ． C

　　解析： 词汇短语题。含有该词的句子起到承前启后作用，解答本题应结合二段主旨及三段 because 后的句意来解题，二段提及“国家最高专利法庭准备对商业方法专利进行缩减”，而三段提及 introduced such patents…, approving a patent…, 由此可知，宣称对商业方法的控制将会有巨大的态度转变，故 C 正确。

　　29 ． B

　　解析： 推论题。结合倒数二段二句及末段首句可知 B 符合文意。此题用排除法最为便利。文章的最后两段未提到 ACD 的内容。而 B 项的内容符合“ that too many patents were being upheld ”，同时 B 选项的内容符合文章的中心。

　　30 ． A

　　解析： 主旨题。文章首段提到“过去 10 年”，而二段首句转到“ Now ”，文章的此脉络结构可知“ A looming threat ”可统领文意，此外文章二至四段，主要谈及联邦巡讲对“ business-method patents ”的立场变化，故 A 为正确答案。