IP Australia has opened an additional consultation period regarding updates to its Patent Manual of Practice and Procedure, specifically concerning the examination of computer-implemented inventions. This follows a significant update on March 16, 2026, which reflected the Full Federal Court’s decision in Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Ltd v Commissioner of Patents. The current consultation seeks stakeholder feedback to inform potential future amendments and clarify the Commissioner's approach to examining these types of inventions.

Interested parties are invited to submit their feedback through the IP Australia Consultation Hub by May 17, 2026. While this is a consultation, the feedback received may lead to future changes in the Patent Manual, impacting how computer-implemented inventions are examined and potentially affecting patentability for entities in this sector. Compliance officers should ensure relevant teams are aware of this consultation and consider submitting feedback if their organization is affected by the examination of computer-implemented inventions.