Federal Circuit Ruling Clarifies Printed Matter Doctrine in Ioengine v. Ingenico Patent Dispute

In the recent case of Ioengine LLC v. Ingenico Inc., the Federal Circuit offered valuable insight into the printed matter doctrine, pivotal for patent law professionals. The court ruled that elements such as “encrypted communications” and “program code” within Ioengine’s card reader technology do not qualify as printed matter, thus meriting patentable consideration. This decision emphasizes the necessity for patent attorneys to carefully analyze claim language, as it differentiates between what constitutes printed matter and executable program instructions.