Quick Navigation

 

Guidelines for Examination

 
 
3.7
Presentations of information 

A presentation of information defined solely by the content of the information is not patentable. This applies whether the claim is directed to the presentation of the information per se (e.g. by acoustical signals, spoken words, visual displays, books defined by their subject, gramophone records defined by the musical piece recorded, traffic signs defined by the warning thereon) or to processes and apparatus for presenting information (e.g. indicators or recorders defined solely by the information indicated or recorded). If, however, the presentation of information has new technical features, there could be patentable subject-matter in the information carrier or in the process or apparatus for presenting the information. The arrangement or manner of presentation, as distinct from the information content, may well constitute a patentable technical feature. Presentation of information arises when "what is displayed" is claimed without specifying "how it is displayed" (see T 1749/06). Examples in which such a technical feature may be present are: a telegraph apparatus or communication system using a particular code to represent the characters (e.g. pulse code modulation); a measuring instrument designed to produce a particular form of graph for representing the measured information; a gramophone record having a particular groove form to allow stereo recordings; a computer data structure (see T 1194/97) defined in terms which inherently comprise the technical features of the program which operates on said data structure (assuming the program itself, in the particular case, to be patentable); a diapositive with a soundtrack arranged at the side of it; and an icon with alternating light and dark stripes conferring a three-dimensional appearance (see T 1749/06).