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ARTICLE · 19 SEPTEMBER 2025

Keep Spinning: Aristocrat Finally Hits The Patent Jackpot

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The Full Federal Court recently issued a game changing decision in Aristocrat v Commissioner of Patents [2025] FCAFC 131, which has major implications for the patentability of computer-implemented inventions.

AustraliaIntellectual Property
Rachelle Downie
Rachelle Downie
Stephen Worthley
Stephen Worthley
James Wallace
James Wallace

The Full Federal Court recently issued a game changing decision in Aristocrat v Commissioner of Patents [2025] FCAFC 131, which has major implications for the patentability of computer-implemented inventions.

This decision is the latest in a long string of court decisions between Aristocrat and the Patent Office, including a Full Federal Court decision rejecting Aristocrat's innovation patents for lacking patentable subject matter, and a split High Court decision which failed to provide guidance on the issue. On Tuesday 16 September 2025, the Full Federal Court rejected its own previously-adopted "two-step" test, following criticism by the High Court. The previous approach, while intended to simplify the analysis, was found to be overly rigid and narrow, and not aligned with established authority.

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