July 2015 Update: Interim Eligibility Guidance Quick Reference Sheet

 

ThisquickreferencesheetprovidesasummaryoftheJuly2015Update:SubjectMatterEligibility(July2015Update).TheJuly2015Updateprovidesadditionalexamplesandfurtherexplanationrespondingtosixmajorthemesfromthepubliccommentsonthe2014InterimGuidanceonPatentSubjectMatterEligibility(2014IEG).Highlightsoftheupdatearesummarizedbelow.

PrimaFacieCase.AsexplainedinSectionIVoftheJuly2015Update,aprimafaciecaseofeligibilityrequires theexaminer toexplainwhyaclaimor claimsareunpatentableclearlyandspecifically, sothatapplicanthassufficientnoticeandisabletoeffectivelyrespond.Forsubjectmattereligibility,theexaminer’s burden is met by clearly articulating the reason(s) why the claimed invention is noteligible,forexamplebyprovidingareasonedrationalethatidentifiesthejudicialexceptionrecitedintheclaimandwhyitisconsideredanexception,andthatidentifiestheadditionalelementsintheclaim(ifany)andexplainswhytheydonotamounttosignificantlymorethantheexception.Thisrationalemayrely,whereappropriate,ontheknowledgegenerallyavailabletothoseintheart,onthecaselawprecedent,onapplicant’sowndisclosure,oronevidence.Samplerejectionssatisfyingthisburdenarefoundinthetrainingmaterials,particularlytheworksheetsforExamples5‐8.

MoreExamples.Appendix1tothe July2015Updateprovidesnewexamplesthatare illustrativeofmajor themes from the comments. Examples 21‐25 illustrate application of the SupremeCourt andFederalCircuit’sconsiderationsfordeterminingwhetheraclaimwithadditionalelementsamountstosignificantly more than the judicial exception itself. Examples 26 & 27 illustrate application of thestreamlined analysis. Examples 23 & 27 also illustrate claims that are not directed to any judicialexception.

Ex.#

ClaimedTechnology ExampleTitle

21 BusinessMethod TransmissionOfStock QuoteData22 GUI GraphicalUserInterfaceForMealPlanning23 GUI GraphicalUserInterfaceForRelocatingObscuredTextualInformation24 Software UpdatingAlarmLimits25 Software RubberManufacturing26 Mechanical InternalCombustionEngine27 Software SystemSoftware‐ BIOS

IndexofExamples.Appendix2totheJuly2015Updateisacomprehensiveindexofexamplesforusewiththe2014IEG,includingnewandpreviouslyissuedexamples.Itprovidesinformationsuchasthesubjectmatter, statutory category, judicial exception (if any), and relevant considerations for eachexample.

IndexofEligibilityCases.Appendix3totheJuly2015UpdatelistseligibilitycasesfromtheSupremeCourt and the Federal Circuit, and provides information such as citation, subject matter andclassification. This appendix is an updated version of the case summary chart that was used inconjunctionwiththeAbstractIdeaWorkshopTraining.

IdentifyingAbstractIdeasInStep2A.SectionIIIoftheJuly2015Update,andthefollowinggraphicon page 2, provide further information on identifying abstract ideas. This information associatesconcepts held to be abstract ideas in Supreme Court and Federal Circuit eligibility decisions withjudicial descriptors (e.g., “certain methods of organizing human activities”) based on commoncharacteristics.Thisinformationismeanttoguideexaminersandensurethataclaimedconceptisnotidentifiedasanabstractideaunlessitissimilartoatleastoneconceptthatthecourtshaveidentifiedasanabstractidea.

July 2015 Update: Interim Eligibility Guidance Identifying Abstract Ideas

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“FundamentalEconomicPractices”

“AnIdea‘OfItself’”

Creatingacontractualrelationship

Hedging Mitigatingsettlementrisk

Comparinginformationregardingasampleortestsubjecttoacontrolortargetdata

Collectingandcomparingknowninformation

Comparingdatatodeterminearisklevel

Diagnosinganabnormalconditionbyperformingclinicaltestsandthinkingabouttheresults

Obtainingandcomparingintangibledata

Comparingnewandstoredinformationandusingrulestoidentifyoptions

Usingcategoriestoorganize,storeandtransmitinformation

Datarecognitionandstorage Organizinginformation

throughmathematicalcorrelations

Displayinganadvertisementinexchangeforaccesstocopyrightedmedia

“CertainMethodsofOrganizingHumanActivity”

“MathematicalRelationships/Formulas”

Creatingacontractualrelationship

Hedging Mitigatingsettlement

risk Processingloan

information Managinganinsurance

policy Managingagameof

bingo Allowingplayersto

purchaseadditionalobjectsduringagame

Generatingrule‐basedtasksforprocessinganinsuranceclaim

Tax‐freeinvesting Arbitration

Usingadvertisingasanexchangeorcurrency

Structuringasalesforceormarketingcompany

Usinganalgorithmfordeterminingtheoptimalnumberofvisitsbyabusinessrepresentativetoaclient

Computingapriceforthesaleofafixedincomeassetandgeneratingafinancialanalysisoutput

Amentalprocessthataneurologistshouldfollowwhentestingapatientfornervoussystemmalfunctions

Mealplanning

Analgorithmforconvertingbinarycodeddecimaltopurebinary

Aformulaforcomputinganalarmlimit Aformuladescribingcertainelectromagnetic

standingwavephenomena TheArrheniusequation Amathematicalformulaforhedging Managingastablevalueprotectedlifeinsurance

policybyperformingcalculationsandmanipulatingtheresults

Reducingtheamountofcalculationsinknownandestablishedcomputations

Analgorithmfordeterminingtheoptimalnumberofvisitsbyabusinessrepresentativetoaclient

Analgorithmforcalculatingparametersindicatinganabnormalcondition

Computingapriceforthesaleofafixedincomeassetandgeneratingafinancialanalysisoutput

Calculatingthedifferencebetweenlocalandaveragedatavalues

Concepts relating to interpersonal and intrapersonal activities, such as managing 

relationships or transactions between people, social activities, and human behavior; satisfying 

or avoiding a legal obligation; advertising, marketing, and sales activities or behaviors; 

and managing human mental activity 

Concepts relating to the economy and commerce, such as 

agreements between people in the form of contracts, legal 

obligations, and business relations 

An idea standing alone such as an uninstantiated concept, plan or 

scheme, as well as a mental process (thinking) that “can be performed in the human mind, or by a human using a 

pen and paper”

Mathematical concepts such as mathematical algorithms, mathematical relationships, mathematical formulas, and 

calculations