Patent decision
- BL number
- O/0083/24
- Concerning rights in
- GB1815750.3
- Hearing Officer
- Mr P Mason
- Decision date
- 5 February 2024
- Person(s) or Company(s) involved
- Muir IP
- Provisions discussed
- Sections 1(1)(b) and 1(2) of the Patents Act 1977
- Keywords
- Excluded fields (allowed), Inventive step
- Related Decisions
- None
Summary
The invention generally relates to an escape room comprising a plurality of discrete puzzles, having a specific operating state relating to a difficulty level. The operating state is altered based on a participant characteristic which is determined prior to entry to the puzzle room and updated in real time based on the participants interaction with puzzles in said room.
The Hearing Officer applied the Aerotel/Macrossan four step test and found that there was a technical contribution, due to the inclusion of the hardware that put the invention outside of excluded subject matter. Further applying the test set out in Windsurfing and reformulated by the Court in Pozzoli, the Hearing Officer found that the invention as claimed involved an inventive step over the cited documents and the common general knowledge of the person skilled in the art. As such the Application was allowed and the case was remitted to the examiner for completion.
Full decision O/0083/24 
187Kb
