Section 3(k) of the Patents Act excludes mathematical methods, business methods and computer programs per se. In practice, applications succeed when they demonstrate a technical effect or technical contribution — improved device performance, novel processing at a technical level — rather than merely running a business idea on a phone.
The full protection stack for an app
- Copyright — the code, automatically, from the moment it is written.
- Trademark — the app's name and logo (often the most valuable piece).
- Trade secrets — algorithms, data and know-how, protected by contracts and access control.
- Patent — only where a genuine technical invention exists; get a professional read before spending.