UK court opens patent path for neural-network inventions

Yahoo
Yahoo 23m UK
The UK Supreme Court ruled that an artificial neural network can qualify for patent protection when it is implemented using physical hardware, overturning the UK Intellectual Property Office’s 2022 refusal in the Emotional Perception AI case and sending the application back for reconsideration.
UK court opens patent path for neural-network inventions
Why it matters
This resets the UK patentability test for AI-related inventions by treating hardware-implemented neural networks as potentially patentable rather than excluded as “computer programs.” AI developers seeking UK protection can now structure filings around hardware implementation to clear the eligibility hurdle, increasing the value of UK-first patent strategies for ANN-based products. The UK Intellectual Property Office must re-evaluate the specific application under the clarified standard, creating a near-term decision point for similar pending or previously rejected filings.
TOPICS

Law & Public Safety Court Rulings Intellectual Property Technology & Innovation Artificial Intelligence

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