Financial method and business method patents seemingly refer to the same subject matter of inventions in patent law. However, they are treated differently for purposes of allow ability under the patent laws of various countries. While the legal landscape of the United States changed substantially with regard to business method patent applications and grants after the well-known State Street Bank decision, the Yahoo decision in India had a lesser impact on business method patent applications. Even in the new Guidelines for Examination of computer-related inventions (CRI), the position of business method patents remained unaffected. As a rule, these CRIs are seen as relating to an invention with a technical component. Even where the claimed subject matter specifies an apparatus or technical process for carrying out the invention and partly includes such claims, they are examined as a whole.
