The Patent and Design Journal No 6027 - Intellectual Property Office
The Patent and Design Journal No 6027 - Intellectual Property Office
The Patent and Design Journal No 6027 - Intellectual Property Office
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xviii <strong>Patent</strong>s <strong>and</strong> <strong>Design</strong>s <strong>Journal</strong> <strong>No</strong>. <strong>6027</strong> 24 <strong>No</strong>vember 2004<br />
Special <strong>No</strong>tices - cont<br />
Applicants should also be aware of the recent EPO Technical Board of Appeal Decision in<br />
Hitachi (T258/03) which departed in some respects from the earlier decision in Pension<br />
Benefit Systems (T931/95). Whilst the general approach set out in Hitachi may seem<br />
somewhat different from the approach laid down by previous UK court decisions, we are<br />
of the view that the traditional UK approach <strong>and</strong> the Hitachi approach will almost always<br />
come to the same end result. Applicants should particularly note the conclusion in Hitachi<br />
that circumventing a technical problem through modification of a business method (rather<br />
than solving it by technical means) cannot contribute to the technical character of a<br />
computer-implemented invention.<br />
If you have any enquiries about this Practice <strong>No</strong>tice, please contact:<br />
Thomas Marlow<br />
UK <strong>Patent</strong> <strong>Office</strong><br />
Concept House<br />
Cardiff Road<br />
Newport<br />
South Wales<br />
NP10 8QQ<br />
Tel: +44(0)1633 813572<br />
Fax: +44(0)1633 814491<br />
E-mail: thomas.marlow@patent.gov.uk<br />
Sean Dennehey<br />
Director of <strong>Patent</strong>s<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Patent</strong> <strong>Office</strong><br />
24th <strong>No</strong>vember 2004<br />
Annex<br />
<strong>The</strong>se are some recent examples of applications for business method inventions that<br />
Hearing <strong>Office</strong>rs have refused. <strong>The</strong> full texts of the decisions <strong>and</strong> further examples are<br />
available on the <strong>Patent</strong> <strong>Office</strong> web site at:<br />
//www.patent.gov.uk/patent/legal/decisions/index.htm<br />
• A computer system for optimising an investment portfolio to reflect the investor’s<br />
wishes on risk, investment spread <strong>and</strong> investment limits - O/215/04<br />
• An internet-based system for allowing individuals to club together to benefit from<br />
bulk purchase discounts: those who commit themselves early get a better price -<br />
O/208/04<br />
• A reminder system which sends a single consolidated reminder for all the actions<br />
necessary in the next week or month, rather than sending lots of separate<br />
reminders<br />
-O/193/04<br />
• A reverse auction system which also monitors a purchases purchasing history so as<br />
to recommend further purchases that are likely to be of interest - O/195/04<br />
• An online betting system that automatically adjusts the odds to ensure that payouts<br />
will be of rounded amounts - O/199/04
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