A recent High Court decision  has change d the UK Intellectual Property Office’s practice of refusing patent claims that cover a “computer program product” (i.e. a CD-ROM or the like containing software for distribution).   The Office previously did not allow such claims on the basis that they believed them to be excluded under the UK Patents Act.   However, the High Court found that in cases where the computer-implemented method itself is patentable then there should be no reason to refuse a claim covering a product storing the program.   This change in practice should make it more straightforward to enforce British patents against parties who produce infringing software.   The patent applications in question were in the fields of image analysis, drug discovery, microchip design and mobile internet access, which gives a flavour of the type of inventions involving computer programs that can now be patented in the UK.