What types of things can be patented? 1 Answers as of June 30, 2010

Section 35 USC 101 defines patentable subject matter as follows:* "Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefore, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title."*

Therefore, any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or improvements of these, are all patentable. As you can imagine, 35 USC 101 covers a great deal, and it is sometimes easier to think of the things that aren't patentable. These include, but are not limited to: abstract ideas, algorithms, natural phenomenon, literary works, compilations of data, legal documents, forms of energy, and signals. There are exceptions to these rules. A computer program is technically nothing more than computer code. The computer program, then, is not patentable by itself. However, it is possible to patent a computer program so long as it is stored on a computer-readable medium or stored on a machine which executes that code.