Patentability of CRI’s in India: Assessing the 2025 IPO Guidelines

Introduction The legal status of Computer Related Inventions (CRI’s) has largely been in debate over the years. Section 3(k) of the Patents Act, 1970 [1]  expressly bars the patentability of computer programmes per se . Recently, on the 29th of July, 2025 the Indian Patent Office (IPO) has issued certain guidelines for Examination of Computer Related Inventions [2]  intended to clarify their position on section 3(k) among other thigs. To qualify for patent, a subject must first be an...