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You are here: BAILII >> Databases >> United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office Decisions >> Epic Systems Corporation (Patent) [2004] UKIntelP o36104 (9 December 2004)
URL: http://www.bailii.org/uk/cases/UKIntelP/2004/o36104.html
Cite as: [2004] UKIntelP o36104
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Epic Systems Corporation [2004] UKIntelP o36104 (9 December 2004)
For the whole decision click here: o36104
Patent decision
- BL number
- O/361/04
- Concerning rights in
- GB0415595.8
- Hearing Officer
- Mr G M Rogers
- Decision date
- 9 December 2004
- Person(s) or Company(s) involved
- Epic Systems Corporation
- Provisions discussed
- PA; 1977 Section 1(2)(c)
- Keywords
- Excluded fields (refused)
- Related Decisions
- None
Summary
The specification discloses a system and method for the self-scheduling of appointments using a computer network. A user sends a request to a server and the request is checked against a pre-authorised scheduling ticket and/or a set of rules. If the request is allowable an appointment is offered to the user. It was argued firstly that the claims did not relate to a business method or computer program, in that there was a notional product (an appointment document), that the system claim comprised hardware and that the claims comprised a number of technical features. Secondly, it was argued that even if the claims did relate to a business method or a computer program, they contained a technical contribution. Both arguments were rejected by the hearing officer who held that the method claim comprised business process steps, the system claim comprised conventional hardware components distinguished only by the program loaded on the system, and neither claims contained a technical contribution.