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The technical character, which appeared in 19th century German law in the chemical sector, reappeared in the 1980s in Europe with computer-implemented inventions and biotechnology. Without being expressly mentioned in the texts, this requirement is nonetheless fundamental, as it draws the boundaries of the field of patent law. Its definition remains little debated, because it is convenient for examiners and judges to propose an assessment of it on a case-by-case basis. Thus, case law has essentially focused on the methods for assessing the notion of technicality. This approach nevertheless leaves a truncated and commonly accepted view of what is technical in the sense of patent law. Moreover, the silence of the texts also tends to leave a permanent doubt as to the scope of the field of patentability. The gaps in substantive law lead to the proposal to remove the exclusions in Article 52(2) of the Munich Convention and to lay down an explicit and autonomous condition of a technical character defined by the texts.

Article 52 of the European Patent Convention provides for an exclusion of computer programs. The criterion of technical character (or technicality) is used to assess the patentability of computer implemented inventions. However, this assessment has varied over the years and according to the forum.

En droit des brevets, le standard d’invention a ete utilise pour introduire de nouvelles exigences de brevetabilite. Les origines de la condition d’invention devoilent de la sorte les liens etroits l’unissant a la notion de caractere technique. A contrario, il en a ete deduit l’exclusion de la brevetabilite des choses naturelles et des choses abstraites. Ce raisonnement resulte pourtant de la confusion faite entre l’invention et une chose inventee provenant de sa mise en œuvre. L’evolution de la jurisprudence europeenne oblige a constater que l’invention constituerait plutot, en realite, l’objet du droit et non une condition de brevetabilite. Il conviendrait, des lors, de distinguer l’invention, objet du droit, et une chose inventee en resultant. La jurisprudence europeenne tend ainsi, desormais, a etendre le domaine de l’appropriable en y integrant les choses naturelles et les choses abstraites. Parallelement, l’exigence de caractere technique semble vouee a devenir une condition de brevetabilite en tant que telle. ?