'Pokémon With Guns' And Patents!

The approach to patenting software in Europe often feels relatively settled in terms of its focus on assessing technical effect. In recent years, there has also been some convergence in approach with other major patenting territories. For instance, US practice looks at 'something more than a well-understood, routine, or conventional concept or abstract idea', and often this analysis will end up with a similar result. However, when thinking about patentability, it's important to bear in mind that different territories, and indeed different patent examiners, will always view things differently, which creates opportunities for protecting important features of products which you perhaps wouldn't immediately think of as being protectable by patents.