No.	4907	

Government	Gazette	23	March	2012	

Act No. 1, 2012

19

INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY ACT, 2012

as	 defined	 in	 sections	 12(1)	 and	 14	 but	 excluding	 section	 14(3),	 it	 is	 not	 obvious	 to	 a	
person	skilled	in	the	art.
	
(2)	
For	 purposes	 of	 subsection	 (1),	 an	 invention	 is	 deemed	 obvious	 when	
the	prior	art	provides	motivation	to	try	the	invention,	or	when	the	method	of	making	a	
claimed	product	is	disclosed	in	or	rendered	obvious	by	a	single	piece	or	combination	of	
pieces	of	prior	art.
Industrial application
16.	
An	 invention	 may	 be	 considered	 to	 be	 industrially	 applicable	 if	 it	 can	
be	made	or	used	in	any	kind	of	industry.
Matter excluded from patentability
17.		

(1)	

	
	
	

(a)	

discoveries,	scientific	theories	and	mathematical	methods;

(b)	

a	 literary,	 dramatic,	 musical	 or	 artistic	 work	 or	 any	 other	 aesthetic	
creation;

	

(c)	

schemes,	 rules	 or	 methods	 for	 doing	 business,	 performing	 purely	
mental	acts	or	playing	games;

	

(d)	

programmes	for	computers;

	

(e)	

presentations	of	information;

	

(f)	

diagnostic,	 therapeutical	 and	 surgical	 methods	 for	 the	 treatment	 of	
humans	or	animals;

	

(g)	

plants	 and	 animals	 other	 than	 micro-organisms	 and	 any	 essentially	
biological	processes	for	the	production	of	plants	and	animals	other	than	
non-biological	and	microbiological	processes;

	

(h)	

the	human	body	and	all	its	elements	in	whole	or	in	part;

	

(i)	

the	whole	or	part	of	natural	living	beings	and	biological	materials	found	
in	 nature,	 even	 if	 isolated	 from	 it	 or	 purified,	 including	 the	 genome	 or	
germplsam;

	

(j)	

new	 uses,	 methods	 of	 use,	 forms,	 properties	 of	 a	 known	 product	 or	
substance	and	already	used	for	specific	purposes	and	changes	of	shape,	
dimensions,	 proportions	 or	 materials	 in	 the	 subject	 matter	 applied	 for,	
except	 where	 the	 qualities	 of	 the	 subject	 matter	 are	 essentially	 altered	
or	where	its	use	solves	a	technical	problem	that	did	not	previously	have	
an	equivalent	solution;	and

	

(k)	

new	use	of	a	known	process,	machine	or	apparatus	unless	such	known	
process	results	in	a	new	product	or	employs	at	least	one	new	reactant.	

The	following	are	excluded	from	patentability:

Select target paragraph3