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You are here: BAILII >> Databases >> United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office Decisions >> MIB Partners Plc (Patent) [2007] UKIntelP o05907 (23 February 2007)
URL: http://www.bailii.org/uk/cases/UKIntelP/2007/o05907.html
Cite as: [2007] UKIntelP o5907, [2007] UKIntelP o05907
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MIB Partners Plc [2007] UKIntelP o05907 (23 February 2007)
For the whole decision click here: o05907
Patent decision
- BL number
- O/059/07
- Concerning rights in
- GB 0308992.7
- Hearing Officer
- Mr R C Kennell
- Decision date
- 23 February 2007
- Person(s) or Company(s) involved
- MIB Partners Plc
- Provisions discussed
- PA 1977 section 1(2)
- Keywords
- Excluded fields (refused)
- Related Decisions
- None
Summary
The invention related to a system for assimilating, mapping and normalising data to provide a summary report. It was particularly intended to overcome the difficulties in benchmarking business performance through questionnaires by providing a system which could be implemented by computer so as to provide a one-page summary report. Refusing the application in the light of Aerotel/Macrossan [2006] EWCA Civ 1371, the hearing officer held that the contribution of the invention consisted solely of a computer program and/or a mental act. It was not therefore necessary to consider whether the contribution was technical in nature, although the hearing officer did not think it was. The hearing officer held that the invention was not excluded as a mathematical method or the presentation of information, and made no finding on whether it was excluded as a business method.