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ARTICLE · 15 APRIL 2026

Interim Guidance From The UK IPO On Computer-implemented Inventions

Murgitroyd
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While the Emotional Perception case was about the patentability of an artificial neural network, the Justices took the opportunity to reject the Aerotel test laid down in 2006 by the Court of Appeal and used by the UK Intellectual Property Office ever since.

United KingdomIntellectual Property
Kate Harkness
Kate Harkness
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The Supreme Court has overturned years of practice in the UK in examining computer-implemented inventions. 

While the Emotional Perception case was about the patentability of an artificial neural network, the Justices took the opportunity to reject the Aerotel test laid down in 2006 by the Court of Appeal and used by the UK Intellectual Property Office ever since. The UK IPO has issued unofficial interim guidance to assist patent attorneys and applicants during this period of upheaval.

This note should be read alongside our overview of the UK Supreme Court’s landmark judgment, “Landmark UK Supreme Court judgment reshapes patent law for AI and software inventions.”

Why has the Supreme Court made this decision?

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