Patent decision

BL number

O/621/20

Concerning rights in

GB1615620.0

Hearing Officer

Mr B Micklewright

Decision date

11 December 2020

Person(s) or Company(s) involved

Tree House Technologies Limited

Provisions discussed

Patents Act 1977 sections 1(1)(d), 1(2)(c)

Keywords

Excluded fields (refused)

Related Decisions

None

Summary

The invention related to a messaging system for individuals in which the messages included options which could be selected by individuals. These selected options are then used to update the message for all individuals in the group. The invention could be used for allocating components of a task to individuals, or for collective decision making. The hearing officer found that the contribution related to improvements in an administrative process rather than to technical improvements in a communication system. It did not make a technical contribution. He therefore refused the application as a program for a computer as such and a method of doing business as such under sections 1(1)(d) and 1(2)(c) of the Act.

Full decision O/621/20 338Kb