EPO回絕UK上訴法院重新審視軟體專利標準的要求

原文:EPO rejects Court of Appeal request to review software patent law

UK上訴法院在裁決了Macrossan vs UK Patent Office後，要求EPO 召開擴大上訴委員會(Enlarged Board of Appeal, Enlaged BoA)，針對EPC 第52 條第二款不予專利的標的進行定義，以解決歐洲專利局上訴委員會見解不一致的問題。

不過由於Enlaged BoA成立的發動權在EPO主席，而EPO主席 Pompidou經回覆給UK上訴法院，表示目前並未見到需要成立Enlaged BoA的理由。

註1 EPC Article 52
(1) European patents shall be granted for any inventions which are susceptible of industrial application, which are new and which involve an inventive step.
(2) The following in particular shall not be regarded as inventions within the meaning of paragraph 1:
(a) discoveries, scientific theories and mathematical methods;
(b) aesthetic creations;
(c) schemes, rules and methods for performing mental acts, playing games or doing business, and programs for computers;
(d) presentations of information.
(3) The provisions of paragraph 2 shall exclude patentability of the subject-matter or activities referred to in that provision only to the extent to which a European patent application or European patent relates to such subject-matter or activities as such.
(4) Methods for treatment of the human or animal body by surgery or therapy and diagnostic methods practised on the human or animal body shall not be regarded as inventions which are susceptible of industrial application within the meaning of paragraph 1. This provision shall not apply to products, in particular substances or compositions, for use in any of these methods.

註2 網際網路上電腦程式本身傳輸之專利
「2. EPO重新詮釋EPC第52條第2、3項的排除條款」 段