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1. Over the past decade, thousands of patents have been granted for what are called business methods.
词汇
decade [ˑdekeɪd] n. 十年，十年期
thousands of 成千上万的
patent [ˑpætnt] n. 专利权；专利证书 v. 获得专利权
grant [ɡrɑːnt] v. 准予；同意；承认
business ['bɪznəs] n. 商业；商务；公司；事情
method ['meθəd] n. 方法，办法；条理
2. Amazon.com received one for its“one-click” online payment system.
词汇
receive [rɪˑsiːv] v. 收到；遭受；迎接
click [klɪk] n. 单击；咔嗒声
online [ˌɒnˑlaɪn] a. 在线的；联网的
payment [ˑpeɪmənt] n. 支付，付款；报答
system [ˑsɪstəm] n. 系统；体制
3. Merrill Lynch got legal protection for an asset allocation strategy.
词汇
legal [ˑliːɡl] a. 法律的；合法的
protection [prəˑtekʃn] n. 保护；防卫
asset ['æset] n. 资产；财产
allocation [ˌæləˑkeɪʃn] n. 分配；划拨的款项
strategy [ˑstrætədʒi] n. 策略；规划
4. One inventor patented a technique for lifting a box.
词汇
inventor [ɪnˑventə(r)] n. 发明者；创造者
technique [tekˑni:k] n. 技术，技能；技巧
lift [lɪft] v. 提起，举起；移动
5. 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.
词汇
nation [neɪʃn] n. 国家；民族；国民
court [kɔːt] n. 法院；法庭；宫殿
appear [əˑpɪə(r)] v. 似乎；看来；出现
completely [kəmˑpliːtli] ad. 完全地；彻底地
scale back 缩减；减少
controversial [ˌkɒntrəˑvɜːʃ(ə)l] a. 有争议的；引起争论的
ever since 从那时起一直
authorize [ˑɔːθəraɪz] v. 批准；授权
6. 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.
词汇
move [muːv] n. 行动；移动；改变
in tellectual-property [ˌɪntəˑlektʃʊəl ˑprɒpəti] n. 知识产权；知识财产
lawyer [ˑlɔːjə(r)] n. 律师
abuzz [ə'bʌz] a. 对……议论纷纷的
appeal [ə'piːl] n. 上诉；申诉；呼吁
Court of Appeals 上诉法院
federal [ˑfedərəl] a. 联邦制的
circuit [ˑsɜːkɪt] n. 环行；电路；（法官的）巡回审判
the Federal Circuit 联邦巡回法院
particular [pəˑtɪkjələ(r)] a. 特指的；特别的
case [keɪs] n. 案件；具体情况，实例；病例
conduct [kənˑdʌkt] v. 实施，执行；带领
broad [brɔːd] a. 广泛的；宽广的
review [rɪˑvjuː] n. 评审；审查；评论
7. 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.
词汇
inre 关于
a big deal 重要的事；巨额交易
Missouri [mɪˑzʊəri] n. 密苏里（美国州名）
8. It“has the potential to eliminate an entire class of patents”.
词汇
potential [pəˑtenʃ(ə)l] n. 可能性；潜力
eliminate [ɪˑlɪmɪneɪt] v. 消除；清除；淘汰
entire [ɪnˑtaɪə(r)] a. 整个的；全部的；完全的
a class of 一类的
9. Curbs on business-method claims would be a dramatic about-face, because it was the Federal Circuit itself that introduced such patents with its 1998 decision in the so-called State Street Bank case, approving a patent on a way of pooling mutual-fund assets.
词汇
curb [kɜːb] n. 控制，抑制 v. 控制
business [ˑbɪznɪs] n. 商业；商务；公司；事情
method ['meθəd] n. 方法，措施；条理
claim [kleɪm] n. 声称；索要 v. 声称；要求
dramatic [drəˑmætɪk] a. 戏剧性的；显著的；引人注目的
about-face [əˌbaʊt ˑfeɪs] n. （思想、态度、行为等）彻底改变
circuit [ˑsɜːkɪt] n. 环行；电路；（法官的）巡回审判
the Federal Circuit 联邦巡回法院
introduce [ˌɪntrəˑdjuːs] v. 引进；介绍
decision [dɪˑsɪʒ(ə)n] n. 决定；果断
so-called [ˌsəʊ ˑkɔːld] a. 所谓的；号称……的
State Street Bank 道富银行
case [keɪs] n. 案件；具体情况，实例；病例
approve [əˑpruːv] v. 批准；同意，赞成
pool [puːl] v. 集中（资源、钱财等）以备共用 n. 水池
mutual [ˑmjuːtʃʊəl] a. 共同的；相互的
fund [fʌnd] n. 资金；基金，专款 v. 资助
asset ['æset] n. 资产，财产
10. That ruling produced an explosion in business-method patent filings, initially by emerging Internet companies trying to stake out exclusive rights to specific types of online transactions.
词汇
ruling [ruːlɪŋ] n. 裁决；裁定
produce [prəˑdjuːs] v. 导致；引起；生产
explosion [ɪkˑspləʊʒ(ə)n] n. 激增；爆破
filing [faɪlɪŋ] n. 存档档案；归档
initially [ɪˑnɪʃəli] ad. 开始，最初
emerge [ɪˑmɜːdʒ] v. 出现；显现；暴露
stake out 清楚地界定自认为属于自己的东西
exclusive [ɪkˑskluːsɪv] a. 专有的；排外的；高级的
specific [spəˑsɪfɪk] a. 特定的；特有的；具体的
type [taɪp] n. 类型，种类；典型
transaction [trænˑzækʃ(ə)n] n. 交易；业务；办理
11. Later, more 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.
词汇
later [ˑleɪtə(r)] ad. 后来；随后 a. 后来的
established [ɪˑstæblɪʃt] a. 已确立的；著名的；公认的
race [reɪs] v. 比赛；快速运转
add [æd] v. 增加；补充说
file [faɪl] n. 档案；卷宗
defensive [dɪˑfensɪv] a. 防御的；戒备的
move [muːv] n. 行动；移动；改变
rival [ˑraɪv(ə)l] n. 竞争对手
beat sb. to the punch 先下手为强
12. 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.
词汇
note [nəʊt] v. 指出；注意
filing [faɪlɪŋ] n. 存档档案；归档
issue [ˑɪʃuː] v. 颁布；发行 n. 议题，争论点；分配
question [ˑkwestʃən] v. 怀疑；质询
basis [ˑbeɪsɪs] n. 基础；准则；原因
grant [ɡrɑːnt] v. 准予；同意；承认
13. Similarly, some Wall Street investment firms armed themselves with patents for financial products, even as they took positions in court cases opposing the practice.
词汇
similarly [ˑsɪmələli] ad. 同样，也；相似地
Wall Street 华尔街
investment [ɪnˑvestmənt] n. 投资；投资额
firm [fɜːm] n. 公司；商行
arm [ɑːm] v. 武装；装备
financial [faɪˑnænʃ(ə)l] a. 金融的；财政的
product [ˑprɒdʌkt] n. 产品；制品
position [pəˑzɪʃn] n. 态度；立场；位置
oppose [əˑpəʊz] v. 反对；抵制
practice [ˑpræktɪs] n. 做法；惯例；实践
14. The Bilski case involves a claimed patent on a method for hedging risk in the energy market.
词汇
involve [ɪnˑvɒlv] v. 牵涉；包含
hedge [hedʒ] v. 避免或减轻投资等的损失；拐弯抹角；限制；包围
risk [rɪsk] n. 风险；危险
energy [ˑenədʒi] n. 能源；力气；精力
15. 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.
词汇
order [ˑɔːdə(r)] n. 命令，指示；顺序 v. 命令；预定
state [steɪt] v. 声明，陈述；规定，公布 n. 国家，州；状态
hear [hɪə(r)] v. 听审；聆听；得知
judge [dʒʌdʒ] n. 法官；裁判员
typical [ˑtɪpɪk(ə)l] a. 典型的 , 一贯的，平常的
panel [ˑpæn(ə)l] n. 陪审团；专题讨论小组
issue [ˑɪʃuː] n. 议题，争论点；分配 v. 颁布；发行
evaluate [ɪˑvæljʊeɪt] v. 评价，评估；估值
reconsider [ˌriːkənˑsɪdə(r)] v. 重新考虑；重新审议
ruling [ruːlɪŋ] n. 裁决；裁定
16. The Federal Circuit’s action comes in the wake of a series of recent decisions by the Supreme Court that has narrowed the scope of protections for patent holders.
词汇
in the wake of 随着……而来；在……之后
a series of 一系列；一连串
supreme [suːˑpriːm] a. 最高的，至高无上的
the Supreme Court 最高法院
narrow ['nærəʊ] v. 缩小；使变窄
scope [skəʊp] n. 范围；能力
protection [prəˑtekʃn] n. 保护；防卫
patent holder 专利持有人
17. Last April, for example, the justices signaled that too many patents were being upheld for“inventions”that are obvious.
词汇
justice ['dʒʌstɪs] n. 法官；公平；合理
signal ['sɪɡnəl] v. 表示；发信号；标志
uphold [ʌp'həʊld] v. 维持；支持
invention [ɪnˑvenʃn] n. 发明；创意；虚构
obvious [ˑɒbvɪəs] a. 平淡无奇的；明显的
18. The judges on the Federal Circuit are“reacting to the anti-patent trend at the Supreme Court”, says Harold C. Wegner, a patent attorney and professor at George Washington University Law School.
词汇
react [rɪˑækt] v. 回应；过敏
anti-patent [ˑæntɪˑpæt(ə)nt] a. 反专利的
trend [trend] n. 趋势；动态
attorney [əˑtɜːni] n. 律师；代理人
professor [prəˑfesə(r)] n. 教授；讲师