COMPUTER IMPLEMENTED INVENTIONS

It is true that, in this case, the term invention may make no sense since one of the recurring sentences in industrial property is that computer programs cannot be patented as such, or at least they cannot be patented in Europe. However, many of these inventions have indeed been patented; moreover, several patents of invention have been granted to companies exclusively dedicated to programming software solutions. Why? Because these inventions solve a technical problem and have a technical effect associated therewith which renders them patentable.  

As a result, one of the most important aspects of computer-implemented innovations is determining what technical problem they solve, as this impacts whether they are patentable. Finding out what the problem is in many circumstances is difficult, which is why it is essential to seek help. It may be feasible to protect your software with a patent of invention rather than a software license. 

We have several IT and telecommunications engineers at BALDER who have overseen the preparation and prosecution of numerous computer-implemented inventions. 

If you consider that one of your software solutions or solutions with a large computational component might be patentable, please feel free to contact us any time and we can help you determine whether you should apply for an invention patent or, alternatively, find the best way to protect your solutions.