Bernard Bilski

Bernard Bilski is the first named inventor on a patent application for fixed bill energy pricing. This patent application claims a business method patent. Its patentability has been appealed to the US Supreme Court.
Bernard Bilski and Rand Warsaw invented fixed bill pricing when they were employess of Equitable Gas Company in the mid 1990's. His idea was to take advantage of the deregulation of the energy industry to create a "weatherproof" energy bill. He used weather derivatives in order to accomplish this. .
They then left Equitable in 1996 to form their own start up company, WeatherWise USA to commercialize their invention. Bernard was CEO of WeatherWise USA until 2003.
Fixed bill pricing is now widely offered in the US with many companies copying Bilski's invention. Bilski is attempting to get a patent to issue on his invention, but it has been denied due to being merely a method of doing business. The case has been appealed and is now in front of the US Supreme Court.

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