On 13 February 2024 the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Department of Commerce published a notice regarding ‘Inventorship Guidance for AI-Assisted Inventions’
SUMMARY
“Pursuant to the “Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence” (October 30, 2023), the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO or Office) is issuing inventorship guidance for inventions assisted by artificial intelligence (AI). The guidance provides clarity for USPTO stakeholders and personnel, including the Central Reexamination Unit and the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB or Board), on how the USPTO will analyze inventorship issues as AI systems, including generative AI, play a greater role in the innovation process. This guidance explains that while AI-assisted inventions are not categorically unpatentable, the inventorship analysis should focus on human contributions, as patents function to incentivize and reward human ingenuity. Patent protection may be sought for inventions for which a natural person provided a significant contribution to the invention, and the guidance provides procedures for determining the same. Finally, the guidance discusses the impact these procedures have on other aspects of patent practice. The USPTO is seeking public comments on this inventorship guidance for AI-assisted inventions.
DATES
Applicability Date:
“The inventorship guidance for AI-assisted inventions is effective on February 13, 2024. This guidance applies to all applications, and to all patents resulting from applications, filed before, on, or after February 13, 2024.”
Comment Deadline Date:
“Written comments must be received on or before May 13, 2024.”
The notice can be read here.
