AI Guideline and Scenarios

Dr Russell Maurice, UK IPO

Dr Russell Maurice leads in training colleagues across the UK-IPO on how to assess computer-implemented inventions in view of the exclusions of s1(2). Russell is a senior examiner within the examining group that handles data-processing technology.

Phil Thorpe, UK IPO

Phil Thorpe is a Deputy Director at the UK Intellectual Property Office with responsibility for patent practice.  He is also an inter-partes hearing officer and has responsibility for the IPO’s Opinion Service During his 30 years with the IPO, Phil has been heavily involved in IP policy including representing the UK in the TRIPS Council. He has been seconded to the EU Commission where among other things he worked on the Community Patent Regulation and was also seconded to the secretariat for the UK Commission on Intellectual Property Rights.

Nigel Hanley, UK IPO

Nigel has led three patent examining groups over the last 9 years, specialising in electrical and mechanical technology. Prior to that he spent 16 years as a Patent Examiner working on computing inventions.

He has always retained an active interest in this area, and as a senior expert Nigel leads a small team involved in setting Examination Practice and training of examiners in the sometimes contentious area of the patentability of computer programs. He is a regular speaker and presenter on the subject.

More recently, he led the team that produced the updates to the Manual of Patent Practice on computer programs, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the new section on Quantum Computing. He also leads the team responsible for the AI Guidelines and Scenarios which were first published in September 2022 with the third edition being published in January of this year. He leads the team working on the Emotional Perception case both before the Court of Appeal, previously in the high court and now pending before the Supreme Court.