 |
[Home] [Databases] [World Law] [Multidatabase Search] [Help] [Feedback] | |
United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office Decisions |
||
|
You are here: BAILII >> Databases >> United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office Decisions >> IGT (Patent) [2007] UKIntelP o07707 (15 March 2007) URL: http://www.bailii.org/uk/cases/UKIntelP/2007/o07707.html Cite as: [2007] UKIntelP o07707, [2007] UKIntelP o7707 |
||
[New search] [Printable PDF version] [Help]
For the whole decision click here: o07707
Summary
In a gaming machine, different results were classified into sets producing the same outcome, all results producing the same outcome being in the same set; the results were numbered and stored in a memory with the outcomes; and a processor randomly selected one of the outcomes and one of the numbers producing that outcome and displayed the corresponding result. Applying the four-step test in Aerotel/Macrossan [2006] EWCA Civ 1371 the hearing officer held that the contribution of the invention was the provision and setting of a paytable in a way which improved the structuring of outcomes provided to players of gaming machines. The applicant argued that the invention was patentable because it provided a technical solution to a technical problem by enabling a large variety of results to be provided whilst retaining control over the frequency of various levels of outcome (eg large, medium and small awards). However, distinguishing Sun Microsystems O/057/06, the hearing officer held the invention excluded because it failed the third Aerotel/Macrossan step in that it related solely to a computer program and (following the decisions in Acres Gaming O/112/06 and IGT O/211/06) to a method or rule for playing a game. In any case he did not think the contribution of the invention was technical in nature. The application was refused.