Summary from the Federal Register
In accordance with Executive Order 14110 on the "Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence" (October 30, 2023) (Executive Order), the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is issuing a guidance update on patent subject matter eligibility to address innovation in critical and emerging technologies (ET), especially artificial intelligence (AI). This guidance update will assist USPTO personnel and stakeholders in evaluating the subject matter eligibility of claims in patent applications and patents involving inventions related to AI technology (AI inventions). This update also announces a new set of examples that are intended to assist USPTO personnel in applying the USPTO's subject matter eligibility guidance to AI inventions during patent examination, appeal, and post-grant proceedings. In addition to addressing issues especially relevant to AI inventions, this guidance update addresses feedback from our stakeholders and includes discussions of recent Federal Circuit decisions on patent subject matter eligibility. This guidance update, together with the guidance provided in the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure (MPEP), is to be used by USPTO personnel when applying subject matter eligibility law.
Dates
Applicability date: This guidance is effective on July 17, 2024.