Dans Ex Parte Hu, App. No. 2010-000151 (BPAI 2012) des revendications portant sur un « computer-readable storage medium » sont acceptées alors que celles concernant un « computer readable medium » sont rejetées.
Selon le Board of Patent Appel and Interference:
– the allowed subject matter « … is directed to a tangible storage medium, which can be read by a computer and therefore fall within one of the four statutory classes of 35 U.S.C. § 101 ».
Dans « Ex Parte Svendsen, App. No. 2011-012505 (BPAI 2012) », le BPAI précise à propos de revendications incluant entre autre un « wired communication interface » que :
– » the « extra-solution activity » doctrine « is more properly applicable to cases where Appellant is attempting to circumvent the prohibition on patenting abstract ideas by adding insignificant and unrelated activity… »;
– « Here, however, the storing and transmitting steps are clearly integral to the selection and delivery of media previews. »