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United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office Decisions
You are here: BAILII >> Databases >> United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office Decisions >> WMS Gaming Inc. (Patent) [2009] UKIntelP o29809 (25 September 2009)
URL: http://www.bailii.org/uk/cases/UKIntelP/2009/o29809.html
Cite as: [2009] UKIntelP o29809
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WMS Gaming Inc. [2009] UKIntelP o29809 (25 September 2009)
For the whole decision click here: o29809
Patent decision
- BL number
- O/298/09
- Concerning rights in
- GB 0409402.5
- Hearing Officer
- Mr J Elbro
- Decision date
- 25 September 2009
- Person(s) or Company(s) involved
- WMS Gaming Inc.
- Provisions discussed
- Patents Act 1977 Section 1(2)
- Keywords
- Excluded fields (refused)
- Related Decisions
- None
Summary
The application concerned a gaming machine of the “fruit machine” type for wagering games with a number of mechanical reels and a video display. The innovation asserted in the application was that this video screen will display different animations depending on the level of award a player has won from the combination of symbols shown on the reels, improving the player’s experience. The hearing officer held that when considering the contribution made by the invention, in accordance with the Aerotel test, it was necessary to consider the contribution to human knowledge, not simply the differences from the prior art. He therefore held that the claimed invention was did not solely relate to a presentation of information, although some aspects of it could be so characterized. However, he found that there was no technical improvement to the gaming machine, instead an improved game was implemented on standard gaming technology. He thus rejected the application as being for a scheme rule or method for playing a game and/or the presentation of information as such.