header-logo header-logo

05 August 2021
Issue: 7944 / Categories: Legal News , Patents
printer mail-detail

DABUS the inventor

Intellectual property (IP) officials in South Africa have made history by awarding a patent that names an artificial intelligence (AI) as the inventor

The patent—filed by an international team led by University of Surrey professor, Ryan Abbott—is for a food container based on fractal geometry. The inventor is an AI called DABUS (device for the autonomous bootstrapping of unified sentience).

Historically, only humans can be an inventor of a patent. However, the DABUS team, which has similar cases moving through UK, European, US and other court systems, argues the status quo is no longer fit for purpose.

Professor Adrian Hilton, director of Surrey University’s Institute for People-Centred AI, said: ‘This is a truly historic case that recognises the need to change how we attribute invention.

‘We are moving from an age in which invention was the preserve of people to an era where machines are capable of realising the inventive step, unleashing the potential of AI-generated inventions for the benefit of society.’

Issue: 7944 / Categories: Legal News , Patents
printer mail-details

MOVERS & SHAKERS

DAC Beachcroft—Clare Dewar

DAC Beachcroft—Clare Dewar

DAC Beachcroft strengthens Scottish real estate capabilitywith partner appointment

Womble Bond Dickinson—Brendan Ryan

Womble Bond Dickinson—Brendan Ryan

Womble Bond Dickinson appoints Brendan Ryan as partner in Public Law Projects team

Parklane Plowden Chambers—five appointments

Parklane Plowden Chambers—five appointments

Parklane Plowden Chambers welcomes five new barristers

NEWS
A time-restricted bank tax, a ‘roadmap to fiscal devolution’, extension to parental leave, entrepreneur’s relief and a giveaway on energy bills for households are the headlines in Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healey’s 2026 Autumn Budget
A Court of Appeal judge has lamented the ‘very concerning’ state of the law on employee inventor compensation after a chemist’s case took five-and-a-half years to reach court, eventually being listed for a 37-day trial next year
The Law Society has emphasised that responsibility remains human, in a practice note on artificial intelligence (AI)
Respect orders, which enable police, councils, housing associations, transport networks and other authorities to take enforcement action against anti-social behaviour, have come into force across England and Wales
The Land Registry has launched two consultations aimed at making its information more publicly accessible, ‘Restructuring HM Land Registry fees’, and ‘Future of access to HM Land Registry information’
back-to-top-scroll