Text mining using multidimensional subspaces/BOEING, European Patent Office (EPO Board of Appeal), 24 April 2009

The invention related to text mining using mathematical techniques such that information can be presented in a way that can be more easily understood or evaluated by a user. The Board of Appeal noted that it is a fundamental question whether such an invention is within a field of technology. It can hardly be regarded as forming a physical entity nor does the method result in a change in the data, but merely in their representation. It could therefore be argued that the invention is essentially a mathematical method pursuant to Article 52(2)(a) EPC, resulting in a presentation of information pursuant to Article 52(2)(d) EPC.

A full summary of this case has been published on Kluwer IP Law.