The Patent Examination Standards for “Computer Software Related Invention” was firstly promulgated in October 1998, and was then amended and promulgated on May 20, 2008.
The major amendment in this newly amended Patent Examination Standards for “Computer Software Related Invention” was that, in addition to the conventional patentable subject matter of an article, the method/process and the recording media, a computer program product is now a patentable subject matter in Taiwan. For example, as illustrated in page 2-9-17 of said “Standards,” the following claim writing is acceptable:
Example 6 (a computer program product claim)
- A computer program product, said program being loaded by the computer to execute:
the first program instructions making the microprocessor read a request submitted by an external hardware to send data; ….
Example 7 (a computer program product claim containing a reference to another claim)
- A method of automatically showing the contents and images of e-mails comprising the following steps of:
a receiving step for receiving e-mails through internet; ….
- A computer program product storing therein the program for showing the contents and images of e-mails, capable of implementing the method as claimed in claim 1 when said computer program is loaded by the computer and then executed.
