Patent decision

BL number

O/0310/23

Concerning rights in

GB1804674.8

Hearing Officer

Mr B Micklewright

Decision date

28 March 2023

Person(s) or Company(s) involved

Cathal Greaney

Provisions discussed

Patents Act 1922 sections 1(1)(d), 1(2)

Keywords

Excluded fields (refused), Inventive step

Related Decisions

None

Summary

The invention related to improving border control systems by providing customs officials with a risk score for a particular container, the risk score based on periodic updates on the location of the container and on other parameters relating to the container. The customs official would then determine which containers to inspect based on the risk score. The hearing officer found that the claimed invention did not involve an inventive step over the cited prior art and also was excluded from patentability as a method of doing business and a program for a computer as such. He therefore refused the application.

Full decision O/0310/23 334Kb