Chapter 3
Subject-Matter Eligibility: What Can (and Cannot) Be Patented
Navigating Section 3, Alice/Mayo, and EPO Exclusions
Maps the excluded subject-matter landscape - Section 3(d), 3(k) and 3(m) under Indian law, Alice-Mayo under US law, and the EPO technical-character requirement. Includes practical claim-drafting strategies to overcome eligibility rejections.
2 AI prompts
Companion last updated: June 1, 2026
Key Topics
- Section 3(d) pharmaceutical exclusion (Novartis case)
- Section 3(k) software & business methods
- Alice/Mayo framework (US)
- EPO technical character doctrine
- Claim drafting strategies for software inventions
AI Prompt Library
Prompts for This Chapter
Tested AI prompts relevant to the topics covered in Chapter 3. Copy and adapt for your work.
Drafting
IN
Section 3 Compliance Checker (India)
Reviews a proposed claim set against Indian Patent Act Section 3 excluded subject matter and flags risks.
Drafting
US
Alice/Mayo Eligibility Analysis (USPTO)
Analyses claims under the Alice/Mayo framework and the USPTO's 2019 Revised Guidance.