USPTO Issues Preliminary Alice Corp. Instructions and Invites Comments
Client Alert | 1 min read | 07.02.14
On June 25, 2014, the United States Patent and Trademark (USPTO) issued its Preliminary Alice Corp. Instructions on the application of the United States Supreme Court decision in Alice Corporation Pty. Ltd. v. CLS Bank International, et al., No 13-298. The Preliminary Alice Corp. Instructions provide guidance to USPTO examiners when determining subject matter eligibility under 35 U.S.C. 101 of claims involving abstract ideas. The USPTO provided the following guidance:
- The USPTO will expand the two-part test set forth in Mayo Collaborative Services v. Prometheus Laboratories, Inc., 56 U.S. ___ (2012) to abstract ideas. Prior to Alice, the USPTO only applied the Mayo two-part test to claims involving laws of nature. See MPEP 2106.01.
- The USPTO will apply the Mayo two-part test across all categories of claims (e.g., product and process claims).
- Finally, the USPTO set forth the Mayo two-part test in detail, including several comments and examples.
The USPTO invited comments on the Preliminary Alice Corp. Instructions. Comments must be submitted by July 31, 2014, and instructions to provide comments is listed on the USPTO website.
Contacts
Insights
Client Alert | 4 min read | 12.30.25
Are All Baby Products Related? TTAB Says “No”
The United States Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB or Board) recently issued a refreshed opinion in the trademark dispute Naterra International, Inc. v. Samah Bensalem, where Naterra International, Inc. petitioned the TTAB to cancel Samah Bensalem’s registration for the mark BABIES' MAGIC TEA based on its own BABY MAGIC mark. On remand from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the TTAB reconsidered an expert’s opinion about relatedness of goods based on the concept of “umbrella branding” and found that the goods are unrelated and therefore again denied the petition for cancellation.
Client Alert | 6 min read | 12.30.25
Investor Advisory Committee Recommends SEC Disclosure Guidelines for Artificial Intelligence
Client Alert | 2 min read | 12.29.25
FYI – GAO Finds Key Person “Available” Despite Accepting Employment with a Different Company
Client Alert | 4 min read | 12.29.25
More Than Math: How Desjardins Recognizes AI Innovations as Patent-Eligible Technology
