Patent Eligibility for AI Inventions
The UK’s Patents Act 1977 § 1(2)(c) excludes, from patent protection, “a program for a computer.” Under this exclusion, the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) rejected Emotional Perception AI Ltd.’s patent claim, which included an Artificial Neural Network (ANN). However, on November 21, 2023, the High Court overturned the rejection, stating that the exclusion did not apply. In response to the High Court’s decision, the UKIPO temporarily suspended its guidance on patent applications relating to AI inventions, and issued interim guidance that Patent Examiners should not object to inventions involving ANNs under the “program for a computer” exclusion.Continue Reading UK’s High Court Opens The Door For More AI Inventions