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 February, however, lawyers working to get Willingham a posthumous pardon revealed a note discovered in Mr Webb's file with the Navarro County prosecutor promising a reduced charge based on cooperation in Willingham.
They asked the court to declare him innocent because of insanity. Brown protested. He said the lawyers were just trying to save his life. He did not want such a defense. The matter of insanity was dropped.