Patent decision

BL number
O/075/01
Concerning rights in
GB9900566.2
Hearing Officer
Mr D L Wood
Decision date
14 February 2001
Person(s) or Company(s) involved
John Edward Rose
Provisions discussed
PA 1977 sections 1(1), 1(2), 4(1), 4(2)
Keywords
Excluded fields (refused), Inventive step
Related Decisions
None

Summary

A method of stimulating performance in which an externally generated stimulus under the control of the user was used to recall performance visualised under hypnosis was held to fall within 'among other things' excluded from patentability by section 1(2). Following the reasoning of Pension Benefit Systems Partnership [2000] T 0931/95, even though the method related to an excluded invention, an apparatus for carrying out the method was an invention within the meaning of section 1(1). However, given that the technical features of the apparatus were functionally defined with reference to the non-patentable method and the method provided the only driving force for bringing together the individually known components of the claimed combination, the apparatus was held not to involve an inventive step.

Full decision O/075/01 PDF document32Kb