Supreme Court to examine 'obviousness' of patents

C-Net reports that in their third major patent case this year, the U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments about what courts should consider when deciding whether an invention is too "obvious" to warrant protection. Software and hardware makers have long complained that a glut of so-called junk patents threatens to disrupt the way they do business.

The decision has potential to significantly impact the High Tech industry. From the article: "Several Silicon Valley heavyweights, including Intel and Cisco Systems, have submitted supporting briefs that urge the Supreme Court to revise an earlier ruling. That ruling, they claim, has helped make it easier to obtain patents on seemingly 'obvious' combinations of pre-existing inventions."