Navigating Software Patents - UK IPO & EPO Practice for Lawyers Working with AI Inventions

Introduction

Software-implemented inventions, particularly those driven by Artificial Intelligence (‘AI’), are transforming industries at an unprecedented pace. From social media and image recognition to financial services, automotive systems and healthcare, AI is reshaping commercial and technical landscapes alike. Unsurprisingly, this surge in innovation is reflected in a rapidly expanding volume of patent filings across Europe and the UK.

For legal professionals advising on or prosecuting technology patents, understanding how these inventions are assessed by the UK Intellectual Property Office (‘UK IPO’) and the European Patent Office (‘EPO’) is increasingly essential. The legal treatment of computer-implemented inventions remains a complex and evolving area, with significant implications for patentability, claim scope and enforcement strategy. This webinar will examine real-world case law, including both successful and refused applications, to highlight the key legal principles applied in practice.

By analysing these decisions, the webinar will distil practical guidance on how to navigate examination standards and improve drafting outcomes. It will focus on best-practice approaches to structuring claims, avoiding excluded subject matter pitfalls and aligning applications with current UK and European jurisprudence. You will gain actionable insight to strengthen your prosecution strategies and better support clients operating in fast-moving AI and software sectors.

The webinar is designed for lawyers, patent attorneys and in-house counsel seeking a clear, practice-focused understanding of software and AI-related patent protection in the UK and Europe. It is particularly relevant for those working with cross-border portfolios or advising clients developing computer-implemented inventions.

What You Will Learn

The webinar will cover the following:

• How software-implemented inventions are assessed by the EPO and UK IPO
• Excluded subject matter and the boundaries of patentability
• Business method inventions and their treatment in a software context
• Patent protection for gaming technologies and related innovations
• Graphical User Interfaces (‘GUIs’) and their patentability considerations
• Machine learning and AI inventions - current practice and key issues
• Clarity, support and sufficiency requirements in software-related applications
• Identifying and capturing inventions in software development (invention harvesting)
• Best practice in drafting patent specifications for software and AI inventions