Patent Office Holds Meetings on Draft Guidelines for Computer Inventions

New Delhi, May 6 (PTI) The Indian patent office on Tuesday said it will hold in-person stakeholder meetings to discuss the comments received on the draft guidelines for computer-related inventions (CRI).

The meetings will be held in Mumbai on May 9, and in the national capital on May 13.

"The Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks (CGPDTM) has announced in-person stakeholder meetings to discuss the representations received on the draft guidelines for CRI," it said in a communication.

CRIs comprise inventions, which involve the use of computers, computer networks or other programmable apparatus and techniques related thereto and include such inventions having one or more features of which are realised wholly or partially by means of a computer hardware/software.

The CGPTDM has issued the draft guidelines for examination of CRIs on March 25 this year.

The significance of these rules grows as recent developments in the field of information and communication technology and computer science, such as advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain technology, quantum computing, cloud computing and the Internet of Things (IoT), are rapidly transforming industries and reshaping innovation.

These technologies often involve complex algorithms, data processing techniques, and hardware-software integrations.

"...this rapid pace of innovation brings a need to develop a complementary regulatory system for patent examination," the draft guidelines said adding creators of knowledge in the domain of CRIs have consistently endeavored for appropriate protection of their patent rights.

The patent regimes, it said, have to cope with the challenges of processing of patent applications related to CRIs.

While examining applications for patent in these cutting-edge fields, it is essential to consider how these innovations transcend traditional software and algorithms to provide a technical solution, it added.

"The aim of this document is to provide guidelines for the examination of patent applications in the field of CRIs by the Indian Patent Office so as to further foster consistency in the examination of such applications," it added.

The objective of these rules is to bring out clarity in terms of exclusions expected under Section 3(k) so that eligible applications of patents relating to CRIs can be examined efficiently and effectively.

Section 3(k) of the Indian Patents Act, 1970, excludes certain inventions from patentability. It included a mathematical or business method or a computer programme per se or algorithms.