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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 o7707, [2007] UKIntelP o07707
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IGT [2007] UKIntelP o07707 (15 March 2007)
For the whole decision click here: o07707
Patent decision
- BL number
- O/077/07
- Concerning rights in
- GB 0501495.6
- Hearing Officer
- Mr R C Kennell
- Decision date
- 15 March 2007
- Person(s) or Company(s) involved
- IGT
- Provisions discussed
- PA 1977 Section 1(2)
- Keywords
- Excluded fields (refused)
- Related Decisions
- None
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.