The Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO) will offer a one-hour webinar entitled "Patenting Computer Simulations in Europe Following Enlarged Board Case G1/19" on May 12, 2021 from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm (ET).  Mike Jennings of AA Thornton; Tobias Kaufmann of Bardehle Pagenberg; Heli Pihlajamaa, Director Patent Law, European Patent Office (EPO); and James Signor of Leydig, Voit & Mayer, LTD. will address whether, following the Decision G 1/19 on Computer-implemented simulations by the Enlarged Board of Appeal (EBOA) of the European Patent Office, something has changed with respect to the assessment of patentability and inventiveness in Europe.  The panel will discuss the implications of the following:

• For the purposes of assessing inventive step under this approach, a simulation can solve a technical problem producing a technical effect further to its implementation on the computer
• The EBOA recognized in accordance with existing case law that features which could contribute to the technical character of a claim could be the use of technical inputs (e.g., measurements) or outputs (e.g., a control signal for controlling a machine), or specific adaptations to the computer or its operation
• On the other hand, the EBOA stated that the simulation being based on underlying technical principles is by itself not sufficient to solve a technical problem
• According to the decision, it is not necessary for there to be a direct link to physical reality, and the same standard applies even if the simulation is claimed as part of a design process

The registration fee for the webinar is $150 for non-members or free for IPO members (government and academic rates are available upon request).  Those interested in registering for the webinar can do so here.