Patents for Intangible Inventions in Australia after Grant v. Commissioner of Patents – Part 2

An issue currently attracting attention in a number of jurisdictions is the patentability of ‘pure’ business methods, being methods of operating an aspect of a commercial enterprise which do not involve a physical aspect. This issue was dealt with recently in Australia by the Full Court of the Federal Court which considered the patentability of a method of protecting an asset from the claims of creditors. The court held that in order to be patentable, an invention must disclose a physically-observable effect and accordingly ordered that the patent be revoked