A recent decision by US Court of Appeals goes against business method patents: Court Hits Patent Holders

The decision, by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, suggests that business-method patents will now be considered invalid unless the invention has a practical application and can be linked to a particular technology, such as a computer. The court said that "mental processes -- or processes of human thinking -- standing alone aren't patentable even if they have practical application."

In related news: Amazon One-click patent rejected by Patent Office