1. INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY OFFICE Of the Czech Republic The Business Methods and Software Implementations in the Inventions and the Utility Models in the Czech Republic The Business Methods and Software Implementations in the Inventions and the Utility Models in the Czech Republic Jan Mothejzik, Patent Department INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY OFFICE of the Czech Republic WWW.UPV.CZ

2. INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY OFFICE Of the Czech Republic 2 About me Examiner (electro and mechanical department)Examiner (electro and mechanical department) Long time experience in computer field,Long time experience in computer field, but only a little more than 1 year at the Industrial Property Office of the Czech Republic Not so well experienced in this branch,Not so well experienced in this branch, as there are not so many cases in the Czech Republic (Small Country) The Business Methods and Software Implementations in the Czech Republic JAN MOTHEJZIK

3. INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY OFFICE Of the Czech Republic 3 Industrial Property Office of the Czech Republic – global statistics 4 900 - 900 applications per year (last 10 years falling) from 10 to 90 % domestic (rapid growth) Inventions and Patents The Business Methods and Software Implementations in the Czech Republic JAN MOTHEJZIK Utility Models 1 100 – 1 400 applications per year (last 10 years) (more than 90% domestic) (Data Source: Annual Report 2009 of the IPO Czech Republic)

4. INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY OFFICE Of the Czech Republic 4 Conditions of protection by the Patents and the Registration of Utility Models in the Czech Republic Basic Czech laws for protection of technical solutions: -Law No. 527/1990 Coll., on Inventions and Rationalization Proposals, as amended, Very similar to EPC (European Patent Convention). -Law No. 478/1992 Coll., on Utility Models, as amended The Business Methods and Software Implementations in the Czech Republic JAN MOTHEJZIK §§§§§§§§§§

5. INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY OFFICE Of the Czech Republic 5 Number of selected applications in Czech Republic (source: on-line database of Czech Inventions and Utility Models) Number of selected applications in Czech Republic (source: on-line database of Czech Inventions and Utility Models) Criteria of searching: -by keywords in the Title (database, software, business models, business methods, program) Results: -Most of the applications found are in these classes: G06F (68), G05B (38), G06Q (14) Note: All applications in class G06Q and its sub-classes are 94 in CZ. The Business Methods and Software Implementations in the Czech Republic JAN MOTHEJZIK

6. INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY OFFICE Of the Czech Republic 6 Number of selected applications in Czech Republic (continued) 385 500 applications since 1919 (Both domestic and foreign) TotaI number of applications in CZ database: The Business Methods and Software Implementations in the Czech Republic JAN MOTHEJZIK Applications selected by keywords: 163 applications (1960 - 2008)

7. INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY OFFICE Of the Czech Republic 7 Number of selected applications in Czech Republic (continued) The Business Methods and Software Implementations in the Czech Republic JAN MOTHEJZIK DomesticForeignTOTAL Inventions9546141 Utility Models 18422 TOTAL11350163

8. INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY OFFICE Of the Czech Republic 8 Number of selected applications in the CZ divided by status The Business Methods and Software Implementations in the Czech Republic JAN MOTHEJZIK Type of Status# New + public18 Grant92 Negative48 Other5 TOTAL163

9. INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY OFFICE Of the Czech Republic 9 The Business Methods and Software Implementations in the Czech Republic JAN MOTHEJZIK Number of selected applications in the Czech Republic per year 19601960 19861986 20002000 20072007

10. INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY OFFICE Of the Czech Republic 10 Number of Applications in EPODOC selected by the same keywords The Business Methods and Software Implementations in the Czech Republic JAN MOTHEJZIK For comparison:  In CZ database is 163 Applications  In EPODOC database is about 61000 Applications

11. INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY OFFICE Of the Czech Republic 11 Main difficulty in recognizing granted Inventions or Utility Models for registration in section „Business Methods“ and „Software -Implemented“ The Business Methods and Software Implementations in the Czech Republic JAN MOTHEJZIK The Invention must be of „technical character“ but No general definition of „technical“ 

12. INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY OFFICE Of the Czech Republic 12 Main difficulty (continued) The Business Methods and Software Implementations in the Czech Republic JAN MOTHEJZIK For instance:  Business model of E-shop system  Business model of Mobile phone shopping system  etc...

13. INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY OFFICE Of the Czech Republic 13 Main difficulty (continued) The Business Methods and Software Implementations in the Czech Republic JAN MOTHEJZIK Solution: ? ? ?

14. INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY OFFICE Of the Czech Republic 14 Solution for (but not only for) smaller country -Take a part on similar seminars as on this one (e.g. EPO seminar Computer-implemented Inventions, Munich, May 2010) -Study relevant cases in EPO documents -Discuss with colleagues -Have personal opinion (own point of view) The Business Methods and Software Implementations in the Czech Republic JAN MOTHEJZIK

15. INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY OFFICE Of the Czech Republic Thank you for your attention The Business Methods and Software Implementations in the Czech Republic JAN MOTHEJZIK Jan Mothejzik jmothejzik@upv.cz