www.iptechblog.com
Open in
urlscan Pro
2a06:98c1:3121::3
Public Scan
Submitted URL: https://bit.ly/4aN0EJZ
Effective URL: https://www.iptechblog.com/2024/01/uk-supreme-court-rules-on-ai-and-patent-applications/
Submission: On January 08 via manual from GB — Scanned from GB
Effective URL: https://www.iptechblog.com/2024/01/uk-supreme-court-rules-on-ai-and-patent-applications/
Submission: On January 08 via manual from GB — Scanned from GB
Form analysis 3 forms found in the DOM
GET https://www.iptechblog.com/
<form method="get" class="searchform" action="https://www.iptechblog.com/">
<input type="text" value="Search" name="s" class="s">
<input type="submit" class="searchsubmit hide-text" value="Go">
</form>POST https://www.iptechblog.com/2024/01/uk-supreme-court-rules-on-ai-and-patent-applications/#lxb_mct-form-1
<form class="lxb_mct_subscribe_widget_form " action="https://www.iptechblog.com/2024/01/uk-supreme-court-rules-on-ai-and-patent-applications/#lxb_mct-form-1" method="post">
<input type="email" required="" class="" id="lxb_mct-form-1" name="mc_email" placeholder="Your Email Address">
<label for="mc_website-lxb_mct-form-1" class="mc_website_label screen-reader-text ">Your website url</label>
<input type="text" id="mc_website-lxb_mct-form-1" class="mc_website " tabindex="-1" aria-hidden="true" name="mc_website" value="Website">
<input type="submit" class="" id="mc_submit-lxb_mct-form-1" name="mc_submit" value="SUBMIT">
<input type="hidden" name="mc_input_id" value="lxb_mct-form-1">
<input type="hidden" name="mc_list_id" value="da5f5c9077">
<input type="hidden" name="mc_redirect_to" value="">
<input type="hidden" id="mc_load_time-lxb_mct-form-1" name="mc_load_time" value="0">
<input type="hidden" name="profile_link_classes" value="">
</form>GET https://www.iptechblog.com
<form action="https://www.iptechblog.com" method="get"><label class="screen-reader-text" for="cat">Topics</label><select name="cat" id="cat" class="postform">
<option value="">Select Topic</option>
<option class="level-0" value="1632">Advertising</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2112">Artificial Intelligence</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2572">ASA</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2140">Biotech</option>
<option class="level-0" value="1625">Bitcoins</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2664">Blockchain</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2355">Brand Protection</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2359">Brexit</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2008">China</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2559">Competition and Markets Authority</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2634">Consumer Law</option>
<option class="level-0" value="1731">Contract</option>
<option class="level-0" value="1659">Copyright</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2516">Counterfeiting</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2198">COVID-19</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2071">Cryptocurrency</option>
<option class="level-0" value="1841">Cybersecurity</option>
<option class="level-0" value="1707">Data Breach</option>
<option class="level-0" value="1709">Data Protection</option>
<option class="level-0" value="1661">Designs</option>
<option class="level-0" value="1666">Domain Names</option>
<option class="level-0" value="1626">e-Commerce</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2548">EU Commission</option>
<option class="level-0" value="1822">Europe</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2699">European Patent Office</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2700">European Union Intellectual Property Office</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2527">FDA</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2526">Food and Drug Administration</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2046">France</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2368">Gaming & Gambling</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2221">Germany</option>
<option class="level-0" value="1768">Healthcare</option>
<option class="level-0" value="1868">HIPAA</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2840">IDEA Act</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2163">Inclusion & Diversity</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2839">Intellectual Property</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2431">International Trade Commission</option>
<option class="level-0" value="1772">Internet</option>
<option class="level-0" value="1829">IP Litigation</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2675">IPEC</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2324">ITC Section 337</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2064">Judiciary</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2139">Life Sciences</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2142">Life Sciences Biotech Pharma</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2143">Marketing</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2667">Metaverse</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2498">NFT</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2056">Outsourcing</option>
<option class="level-0" value="1820">Patent Litigation</option>
<option class="level-0" value="1638">Patents</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2593">Payment Terms</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2141">Pharma</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2674">Piracy</option>
<option class="level-0" value="1672">Privacy</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2167">PTAB</option>
<option class="level-0" value="1766">Right of Publicity</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2509">Roaming Regulation</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2653">Russia</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2576">Social Media</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2649">Spain</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2639">Subscriptions</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2514">Supreme Court</option>
<option class="level-0" value="1941">Team News</option>
<option class="level-0" value="1655">Technology</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2091">Telecoms</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2691">Trade Mark</option>
<option class="level-0" value="1639">Trade Secrets</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2597">Trademark Infringement</option>
<option class="level-0" value="1629">Trademarks</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2318">TTAB</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2038">UK</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2588">UK Advertising Standards Authority</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2701">Ukraine</option>
<option class="level-0" value="1">Uncategorized</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2504">Unified Patent Court</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2044">US</option>
<option class="level-0" value="1813">US ITC</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2045">USPTO</option>
<option class="level-0" value="2302">Webinar</option>
</select>
</form>Text Content
Squire Patton Boggs MENU * Home * About * Contact * Subscribe GLOBAL IP & TECHNOLOGY LAW BLOG Home » UK Supreme Court rules on AI and Patent Applications UK SUPREME COURT RULES ON AI AND PATENT APPLICATIONS By Carlton Daniel, Paul Jinks and David Naylor on January 3, 2024 Posted in Artificial Intelligence, Europe, European Union Intellectual Property Office, Patent Litigation, Patents, UK, US In a much anticipated judgment, the UK Supreme Court delivered on 20 December 2023 its ruling in the case of Thaler v Comptroller-General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks (Thaler (Appellant) v Comptroller-General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks (Respondent) – The Supreme Court) on whether an artificial intelligence (AI) system can be named as the inventor for a UK patent application. The court unanimously found that AI cannot. This judgement represents the culmination of a long-fought battle by the appellant, Dr Thaler, who submitted two UK patent applications for inventions (one for a food container and the other for a light beacon) which all parties acknowledged had been autonomously created by an AI machine called “DABUS” which Dr Thaler was the sole owner, creator and user of. The grounds for the court’s decision was the definition of “inventor” under the Patents Act 1977 (the Act) which requires the inventor of a patent to be a natural person. The court held that an AI system is not a person, let alone a natural person, thus this requirement cannot be met by an AI system which has autonomously created an invention. The court went on to find that the human owner of an AI system (or any other machine) which creates or generates an invention autonomously is not permitted to apply for a patent for that invention finding that the relevant provisions of the Act “do not confer on any person a right to obtain a patent for any new product or process created autonomously by a machine, let alone a person claiming that right purely on the basis of ownership of the machine”. In addition to this UK claim, Dr Thaler had brought similar proceedings in the US and EU, with the US Patent and Trade Marks Office and European Patent Office Legal Board of Appeal both reaching for their respective patent systems the same conclusion as the UK Supreme Court in April 2020 (DABUS Denied: Only Natural Persons can be Named as Inventors on US Patents | Global IP & Technology Law Blog (iptechblog.com)) and December 2021 (J 0008/20 (Designation of inventor/DABUS) 21-12-2021 | Epo.org) respectively, namely that a natural person/human inventor was required for a patent application which DABUS was not and that Dr Thaler’s mere ownership of a machine which had autonomously created an invention was not sufficient to allow a patent application to proceed. So for the moment, the position under the UK patent system is that AI is very much a tool rather than an autonomous agent in its own right. However, the court did acknowledge that the system may need to change in future to reflect the increasing prevalence of AI and that its ruling is not intended to prevent that, making clear that its judgement is not concerned with the broader question as to whether technical advances generated by machines acting autonomously and powered by AI should be patentable nor whether the definition term “inventor” ought to be expanded to include such machines. As such, in terms of predictions for the coming year, the commencement of consultations on changes to the UK patent system in light of AI feels like a safe bet. Tweet this post Like this post Email this post Share this post on LinkedIn Tags: AI, DABUS, Inventor, Patents Act 1977, UK patent Copyright Squire Patton Boggs. The opinions expressed in this update are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Firm, its clients, or any of its or their respective affiliates. This article is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal advice. STAY CONNECTED * * * * * * * Subscribe By Email Your website url TOPICS Topics Select Topic Advertising Artificial Intelligence ASA Biotech Bitcoins Blockchain Brand Protection Brexit China Competition and Markets Authority Consumer Law Contract Copyright Counterfeiting COVID-19 Cryptocurrency Cybersecurity Data Breach Data Protection Designs Domain Names e-Commerce EU Commission Europe European Patent Office European Union Intellectual Property Office FDA Food and Drug Administration France Gaming & Gambling Germany Healthcare HIPAA IDEA Act Inclusion & Diversity Intellectual Property International Trade Commission Internet IP Litigation IPEC ITC Section 337 Judiciary Life Sciences Life Sciences Biotech Pharma Marketing Metaverse NFT Outsourcing Patent Litigation Patents Payment Terms Pharma Piracy Privacy PTAB Right of Publicity Roaming Regulation Russia Social Media Spain Subscriptions Supreme Court Team News Technology Telecoms Trade Mark Trade Secrets Trademark Infringement Trademarks TTAB UK UK Advertising Standards Authority Ukraine Uncategorized Unified Patent Court US US ITC USPTO Webinar ARCHIVES Archives Select Month January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 RECENT UPDATES * UK Supreme Court rules on AI and Patent Applications * A Win for Skinny Labels; Insights for Enforcing Use Patents * A Proposed Likeness Law Paves the Way for a New Federal Right of Action * How Artificial Intelligence is Changing the Game of Professional Sports * People Don’t Come to See the Tattoo, They Come to See the Show SQUIRE PATTON BOGGS BLOGS * Capital Thinking * Conflict Minerals Law * Down the Wire – Capital Markets Updates * Employment Law Worldview * Global IP & Technology Law Blog * Global Investigations & Compliance Review * Global Projects View * Global Supply Chain Law Blog * La Revue – Legal Updates from France * Latin America Legal * O-I-CEE! Central and Eastern Europe Legal News and Views * Pensions and Benefits * Privacy World * Restructuring GlobalView * Sixth Circuit Appellate Blog * Sports Shorts * The Public Finance Tax Blog * The Trade Practitioner * Triage Health Law * UK Finance Disputes & Regulatory Investigations Blog * frESH: Perspectives on Environmental, Safety & Health GLOBAL IP & TECHNOLOGY LAW BLOG Squire Patton Boggs Attorney Advertising * * * * * * * Privacy * Disclaimer ABOUT US Our Global IP & Technology Law Blog follows significant developments in intellectual property and IT law of interest to businesses engaged in the global economy. Our blog is a source for news and insights into international legal issues involving intellectual property and technology such as trademark and brand protection, patent prosecution and protection; trade secrets, data protection and privacy; and advertising and media issues. READ MORE Copyright © 2024, Squire Patton Boggs. All Rights Reserved. Law blog design & platform by LexBlog Our site stores certain essential cookies on your device in order to function. By clicking “Accept Optional Cookies”, you agree we may also store cookies that enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Choose “Reject Optional Cookies” to disable all but essential cookies, or “Manage Cookies” to view and customize your cookie settings. Read our cookie notice. Reject Optional Cookies Accept Optional Cookies Manage Cookies PRIVACY PREFERENCE CENTER * YOUR PRIVACY * STRICTLY NECESSARY COOKIES * PERFORMANCE & ANALYTICS COOKIES * FUNCTIONAL COOKIES * TARGETING COOKIES YOUR PRIVACY When you visit any website, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. This information might be about you, your preferences or your device and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to. The information does not usually directly identify you, but it can give you a more personalized web experience. Because we respect your right to privacy, you can choose not to allow ”optional” cookies not essential (i.e., “strictly necessary”) to site operations. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings. However, blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer. Privacy Policies STRICTLY NECESSARY COOKIES Always Active These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information. View Cookie Details PERFORMANCE & ANALYTICS COOKIES Performance & Analytics Cookies These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance. View Cookie Details FUNCTIONAL COOKIES Functional Cookies These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly. View Cookie Details TARGETING COOKIES Targeting Cookies These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising. View Cookie Details Back Button BACK TO PREFERENCE CENTER Filter Button Consent Leg.Interest checkbox label label checkbox label label checkbox label label Clear checkbox label label Apply Cancel Confirm My Choices Reject Optional Cookies Accept Optional Cookies