On 1 February 2020, the CNIPA brought its revisions on examining
computer-related inventions ("New AIRelated Revisions")
into effect. These New AI-Related Revisions provide clearer
guidance on determining whether a computer related invention is
directed to patentable subject matter. They will be welcomed by the
applicants as they should make patenting computer-related
inventions easier, and the related prosecution smoother.
On 11 November 2019, the CNIPA published draft revisions to its
patent examination guidelines for computer-related inventions
("New AI-Related Revisions"). Th ese were finalised on 31
December 2019, and became effective on 1 February 2020. In general,
the changes follow the direction in the earlier revisions in 2017,
reported in my article published in the August 2017 issue of the
CIPA Journal. Specifically, as long as a claim has a technical
feature like a computer-implemented step, a non-patentable subject
matter objection should not be raised.
