Patent decision

BL number

O/171/01

Concerning rights in

GB9808661.4

Hearing Officer

Mr G M Rogers

Decision date

6 April 2001

Person(s) or Company(s) involved

Pintos Global Services Limited

Provisions discussed

PA 1977 section 1(2)(c); EPC article 52

Keywords

Excluded fields (refused)

Related Decisions

None

Summary

The invention relates to a system for the exchange of information between prospective providers, such as lenders, and prospective enquirers, such as borrowers. Companies and other prospective borrowers seeking to raise finance traditionally have to approach prospective lenders through an intermediary .The present invention aims to provide a computerised system using databases to enable much easier, quicker and direct exchange of information between such parties and helps to match the requirements of the respective parties. The applicant argued that by claiming a system as opposed to a method, the present case was distinguished from Merrill Lynchs Application [1989] RPC 561, but was similar to that in Pension Benefit Systems Partnership (T 931/95) where the Technical Board of Appeal found that a claim to a computer system suitably programmed for use in a particular field, even where the field is one of business and economy, has the character of a concrete apparatus in the sense of a physical entity, man-made for a utilitarian purpose and is thus an invention within the terms of Section 52. This argument was rejected on the basis that the claim refused by the Court of Appeal in Merrill Lynch was directed to a data processing system, and so the present application was refused.

Full decision O/171/01 26Kb