Copying Abroad doesn't Violate U.S. Patent Law
In another patent ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court again reversed the federal circuit, this time in a 7-1 decision, with Roberts not participating. In Microsoft v. AT&T, the Court reversed the Federal Circuit’s reading of 35 U.S.C. Section 271(f), which had held Microsoft's practice of sending its code abroad for placement on foreign computers violated violation of synthetic speech invention, incorporated in the code. The Court held the code cannot be a component, and therefore, cannot be a combination holding the invention of another - at least, not until after it is copied into a computer. The copying of the code occurs abroad, and thus, U.S. law does not reach it.
