
Surgical methods are among excluded subject matter from patentability in most countries’ patent laws. However, due to rapid advances in scientific discoveries in medical and biotechnological fields, the variety of inventions related to surgical methods are notably increasing. This has given rise to the difficulty in determining the scope of the patentable inventions, and inconsistency in European case-law. Here, one of the reasons behind such disparity in decisions is the difference in the courts’ interpretation about the Ratio Legis of excluding surgical methods. While some courts consider the nature of such methods as the reason for this exclusion, others regard their purpose in maintaining life and health of the human or animal as the reason. This Article tries to analyze the complexities of the patentability of surgical methods by examining the case-law main approaches and recent developments related to such methods.
| selected citations These citations are derived from selected sources. This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | 0 | |
| popularity This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network. | Average | |
| influence This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | Average | |
| impulse This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network. | Average |
