Patent decision

BL number

O/1033/22

Concerning rights in

GB1915720.5

Hearing Officer

Mr B Buchanan

Decision date

24 November 2022

Person(s) or Company(s) involved

Geo-Pro-Teq IP Pty Ltd

Provisions discussed

Patents Act 1977, section 1(2)(c)

Keywords

Excluded fields (refused)

Related Decisions

None

Summary

The claimed invention relates to minimising the risk of harm to a problem gambler by identifying them on the basis of acquired gaming data, and sending an instruction to deny access to the problem gambler to one or more gaming systems. The applicant argued that the invention and its contribution held analogy with the alarm generated inPKTWO, and that the implied risk assessment and control of access to a gaming system was technical. They also argued thatAT&Tsignposts (i)and (v) were satisfied by virtue of the gaming systems being outside the computer, the process being more than just a game or a business method and the consequential minimisation of harm. The Hearing Officer applied the four stepAerotel/Macrossantest to determine whether there was a technical contribution and considered theAT&Tsignposts. The contribution was found to include controlling access on the basis of an instruction arising from identification of problem gambler. It did not relate to a scheme, rule or method for playing a game, but neither did it provide the required technical effect and the claimed invention was found to relate solely to a program for a computer and a method for doing business as such, so the application did not meet the requirements of section 1(2)(c). The application was refused under section 18(3).

Full decisionO/1033/22  475Kb