37 CFR 42.301 : Patents, Trademarks, And Copyrights (§ 1.1 To Chapter V) — (§ 1.1 To Chapter V) — United States Patent And Trademark Office, Department Of Commerce (§ 1.1 To Parts 151-199) — General (§ 1.1 To § 90.3) — Trial Practice Before The Patent Trial And Appeal Board (§ 42.1 To § 42.412) — Transitional Program For Covered Business Method Patents (§ 42.300 To § 42.304) — Definitions

30 Nov 2015

In addition to the definitions in § 42.2, the following definitions apply to proceedings under this subpart D:

(a) Covered business method patent means a patent that claims a method or corresponding apparatus for performing data processing or other operations used in the practice, administration, or management of a financial product or service, except that the term does not include patents for technological inventions.

(b) Technological invention. In determining whether a patent is for a technological invention solely for purposes of the Transitional Program for Covered Business Methods (section 42.301(a)), the following will be considered on a case-by-case basis: whether the claimed subject matter as a whole recites a technological feature that is novel and unobvious over the prior art; and solves a technical problem using a technical solution.

37 CFR 42.301
[77 FR 48753, Aug. 14, 2012]