PatentNext Summary: In Brightex Bio-Photonics, LLC v. L’Oreal USA, Inc., the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California invalidated patent claims relating to AI-driven cosmetic recommendations, finding them directed to an abstract idea under 35 U.S.C. § 101. The court held that while the specification referenced artificial intelligence, the claims themselves failed
PatentNext Summary: In two recent decisions, the Federal Circuit reaffirmed that merely applying artificial intelligence or digital techniques to a specific “field of use” does not satisfy patent eligibility under 35 U.S.C. § 101. In Recentive Analytics v. Fox Corp., claims directed to AI-assisted television scheduling were deemed abstract for lacking inventive implementation. Similarly, in
PatentNext Summary: The Federal Circuit’s decision in Recentive Analytics, Inc. v. Fox Corp. found that applying generic machine learning techniques to a new environment, without a specific technological improvement, is patent-ineligible under 35 U.S.C. § 101. The court emphasized that claims must articulate concrete technological advancements rather than merely applying established methods to different domains.
Agentic AI is transforming artificial intelligence by enabling systems to act independently, making decisions and solving problems autonomously across various industries. Its potential rapid development poses unique challenges for intellectual property protection, requiring innovative strategies to ensure these advancements are effectively safeguarded within the evolving IP landscape.
Introduction
Last year, we explored how Multimodal AI
PatentNext Summary: Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) patent application filings continue to rise at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), with a significant concentration in Tech Center 2100, which focuses on computer architecture and software, particularly AI and simulation technologies. GenAI inventions commonly face Section 103 (obviousness) and Section 101 (subject matter eligibility) rejections, with
PatentNext Takeaway: This post highlights the FDA’s increasing regulatory efforts for artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML)-enabled medical devices (MLMDs), with a focus on managing device AI/ML updates through Predetermined Change Control Plans (PCCPs). The FDA emphasizes five guiding principles for PCCPs to ensure safety, risk management, and transparency for MLMDs throughout their lifecycle.
PatentNext Takeaway: WIPO published a Patent Landscape Report on GenAI. The Patent Landscape Report discusses trends in GenAI, including trends in: GenAI scientific publications, GenAI patents, GenAI models, types of data used in GenAI, and GenAI application areas.Continue Reading WIPO Issues a Patent Landscape Report on Generative AI
PatentNext Takeaway: The USPTO announced its 2024 Guidance Update on Patent Subject Matter Eligibility, particularly focusing on Artificial Intelligence (AI). Effective July 17, 2024, this guidance aims to address examination procedures for U.S. patent applications under 35 U.S.C. § 101, following President Biden’s executive order on the safe development and use of AI. The 2024 AI Guidance is designed to help USPTO personnel apply existing subject matter eligibility rules to AI-related inventions during patent examination, appeal, and post-grant proceedings. It includes case examples from the Federal Circuit, which, although not AI-specific, are relevant for understanding software-related arts. Additionally, it introduces hypothetical examples (new example claims 47-49) illustrating how AI-related patent claims will be analyzed for eligibility. These examples suggest that examiners will scrutinize AI-related claims more rigorously, emphasizing the need for detailed descriptions of how AI features improve technology or technical fields and/or provide a specific medical treatment. While the guidance does not constitute new law, it replaces previous guidance and is expected to be integrated into the MPEP eventually.Continue Reading The USPTO Issues Guidance on Patenting Artificial Intelligence (AI)-related Inventions per 35 U.S.C. § 101 (Subject Matter Eligibility)
Demonstrating that a claimed invention provides an “improvement” to an underlying computing device is one of the best ways to achieve patent eligibility pursuant to Section 101 of U.S. Patent Law. However, the Federal Circuit has repeatedly held that an improvement to a “User Experience” (UX) alone is insufficient. The Federal Circuit recently issued yet another case, further cementing its position that improving a UX, without more, fails to demonstrate a technical improvement for satisfying Section 101 per the Alice two-part test.
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