Patent decision

BL number

O/052/05

Concerning rights in

GB0312325.4

Hearing Officer

Mr P Thorpe

Decision date

9 March 2005

Person(s) or Company(s) involved

Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Inc.

Provisions discussed

PA Section 1(2)(c)

Keywords

Excluded fields (refused)

Related Decisions

None

Summary

The application relates to a computer implemented method of trading derivatives. The applicant argued that the use of a network managing station to match up potential buyers and sellers reduced the amount of data communicated in the system. This was claimed to be a technical solution to a technical problem. Also argued that providing direct communication between the parties rather than routing communications through a server of a central exchange also provided a technical contribution.

Held that the implementation did not involve any technical contribution and that therefore the application was excluded from patentability as a method of doing business and as a program for a computer as such.

Full decision O/052/05 47Kb