Searching claims comprising non-technical features at the European Patent Office

Abstract

Claims involving a mix of technical and non-technical features appear in patent applications across almost all technical fields nowadays, in particular in the context of computer-implemented inventions. This paper discusses how the European Patent Office (EPO) approaches the search of such mixed-type claims, taking into account both the legal framework of the search and the technical particularities of the inventions. Specific attention is given to the latest updates of the Guidelines for Examination at the EPO and to the recent development of the Case Law of the EPO's Boards of Appeal.