Patent decision

BL number

O/1057/23

Concerning rights in

GB2111938.3

Hearing Officer

Mr P Mason

Decision date

7 November 2023

Person(s) or Company(s) involved

Victory Software LTD

Provisions discussed

Section 1(2)(c) of the Patents Act 1977

Keywords

Excluded fields (refused)

Related Decisions

None

Summary

The invention relates to a system for online transactions wherein potential parties to a transaction can search for desired items, express their interest and, as a result, establish a communications link between vendor and potential buyer. During the process the vendor can confirm that an item that was placed for sale remains available. Subsequent searches by further prospective buyers are restricted to those items validated by the vendor.

The Hearing Officer applied the Aerotel/Macrossan four step test, considered the AT&T/CVON signposts and took notice of the Court’s decision in Halliburton Energy Services Inc's Applications. He found the invention to be excluded as a method of doing business and a computer program as such and therefore refused the application under Section 18(3).

Full decision O/1057/23 366Kb