A master thesis from Aalborg University
Patenterbarhed af computerimplementerede opfindelser
[Patentability of computer-implemented inventions]
Forfatter(e)
Semester
4. semester
Uddannelse
Udgivelsesår
2024
Afleveret
2024-10-10
Antal sider
59 pages
Abstract
Abstract Companies invest large amounts of capital in the development of software solutions and will often want to seek such software protected via intellectual property rights. Some degree of protection will generally be provided through copyrights, but not for the underlying functionalities of the software as would be the case with patent protection. According to the European Patent Convention and its interpretation by the Boards of Appeal at the European Patent Organization software will in principle be considered a patentable invention, if it is claimed as part of a computer-implemented invention (CII). Whether or not a patent can actually be granted, however, primarily depends on, whether the software contributes to the technical character of the invention and involves an inventive step. This is assessed using the COMVIK-approach. The purpose of this thesis is to analyze the patentability according to the EPC of computer-implemented inventions primarily consisting of software following the COMVIK-approach. The thesis examines which features of CII that can be considered in the assessment of inventive step according to the first principle laid out in the COMVIK-decision (T 0641/00), and how this affects the patentability of such inventions wherein no new technical means are claimed. Based on the analysis of the case law from the Boards of Appeal, it can be concluded that the patentability of such CII following the COMVIK approach is generally restricted to situations where features of the invention produce technical effects within the computer system on which the software is run. The thesis also examines how the criteria of inventive step has been assessed and applied in multiple cases concerning computer-implemented inventions by the Boards of Appeals and attempts to formulate a minimum threshold for when such inventions, following the COMVIK-approach, will be considered to involve an inventive step in practice. The thesis concludes that the actual assessment of inventive step does not pose a particular obstacle regarding the patentability of CII. In addition to this, the thesis addresses whether the usage of the COMVIK-approach has any additional consequences of relevance to patentability of CII. It is concluded, among other things, that the use of the COMVIK-approach results in increased subjectivity in the assessment of inventive step for CII.
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