Patent decision

BL number

O/314/04

Concerning rights in

GB0222072.1

Hearing Officer

Mr P Thorpe

Decision date

14 October 2004

Person(s) or Company(s) involved

Ebay Inc

Provisions discussed

PA 1977 sections 1(2)(c), 18(3)

Keywords

Excluded fields (refused)

Related Decisions

None

Summary

The application relates to a method for facilitating online payment transactions between participants in a network based transaction facility. Specifically the method is intended to provide a mechanism whereby a first participant, for example a seller in an online auction, can select and communicate which payment methods (eg cash, credit cards etc) may be used by a second participant, for example the successful bidder, when paying the first participant.

It was common ground that the principles laid down by the Court of Appeal in Fujitsu Limiteds Application apply. The applicant argued that there was a technical contribution in the manner in which the underlying business method, which did appear to be novel and inventive, was implemented.

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/314/04 39Kb