US Appeals Court Throws Out Computer Bingo Patents

This story was published more than 9 years ago.

A ruling late last month by a US Appeals Court may have severe implications for the online betting world as the three judge panel upheld a lower court ruling that invalidated two online bingo patents.

The case comes from two electronic bingo firms dubbed Planet Bingo and Video King, who had patents issued to them in 2002 and 2006 respectively. In 2012 Planet Bingo Sued Video King regarding the patents, which saw a US District Court throw out the patents on the grounds that the patented functions could be carried out by a human using a pen and paper.

Noting that the patent claims didn't require a grand scale of numbers, the panel ruled that the software required "at most two sets of Bingo numbers, a player, and a manager", which negated both patents.

Neither bingo firm has commented on the case following the ruling, but it is likely that the case will be appealed further.

Those interested in reading the panel's ruling can do so at: http://www.cafc.uscourts.gov/images/stories/opinions-orders/13-1663.Opin...

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Dustin Jermalowicz // News Editor
Dustin Jermalowicz
Dustin has a long-standing passion for gambling. He has been writing professionally on the subject and breaking industry news for Casino Listings since 2011. His favorite casino games include Blackjack, Poker, and Hi/Lo. A proud native of Detroit, Dustin currently lives in Michigan.