Industrial Property Law

Computer programs, which are protected by copyright (Art. L. 112-2, 13°, IP Code, which classifies software, including preparatory design material, as an intellectual work)  are excluded from design protection (Art. L. 511-1, para. 2, IP Code) and, in the absence of industrial applicability, from patent protection (Art. L. 611-10, 2, c) IP Code). On 20 February 2002, the Commission presented a pro …

Software

Computer programs, which are protected by copyright (Art. L. 112-2, 13°, IP Code, which classifies software, including preparatory design material, as an intellectual work)  are excluded from design protection (Art. L. 511-1, para. 2, IP Code) and, in the absence of industrial applicability, from patent protection (Art. L. 611-10, 2, c) IP Code). On 20 February 2002, the Commission presented a proposal for a directive on the patentability of “computer-implemented inventions” , the final draft of which was rejected by the European Parliament on 6 July 2005.

The exclusion of software from the scope of patentability must be interpreted restrictively . Inventions which make an inventive technical contribution and are implemented by a computer program are patentable . In effect, a process invention cannot be denied patentability for the sole reason that one or more of its steps are performed by a computer . On the other hand, a patent application which clearly relates only to a program or a series of instructions for carrying out operations on a calculating machine, without including in its claims either a technical process or an apparatus, must be rejected .

Added to Directive No 2009/24 of 23 April 2009, OJEU L 111 of 5 May 2009, repealing Directive No 91/250 of 14 May 1991 on the legal protection of computer programs, OJEU L 114 of 17 May 1991.

CA Paris, 15 June 1981, LawLex202200001243JBJ.

CA Paris, 21 May 2019, LawLex202200009845JBJ, concerning a device to help aircraft pilots select the most relevant information, which also produces a technical effect, but was denied a patent for lack of adequate description; CA Paris, 5 June 2009, LawLex202200009865JBJ.

CA Paris, 15 June 1981, LawLex202200001243JBJ; CA Paris, 5 June 2009, LawLex202200009865JBJ.

Cass. com, 28 May 1975, LawLex202200002355JBJ.

Industrial Property Law

241. Software

Demandez un accès gratuit
au contenu exclusif Livv – juristes d’entreprise

Les décisions de justice citées dans ce paragraphe :

Les notions juridiques connexes

241. Software

Demandez un accès gratuit au contenu exclusif Livv – juristes d’entreprise

Les décisions de justice citées dans ce paragraphe :

Les notions juridiques connexes

Demandez un accès gratuit
au contenu exclusif Livv – juristes d’entreprise