Avukatlığın yanı sıra marka ve patent vekili olarak da fikri mülkiyet alanına katkı sağlayan Zehra Hamide GÜRBÜZ ÖNAL tarafından yüksek lisans tezi olarak kaleme alınan ve tamamı İngilizce olarak hazırlanan “RECOGNIZING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AS THE INVENTOR IN PATENT LAW” isimli çalışma, Mayıs 2025’te Platon Hukuk tarafından kitap olarak yayımlandı.
Eser kaleme alınmadan önce aslında “Yapay zeka buluşçu olabilir mi?” sorusundan yola çıkılmıştır. Bu kapsamda yapılan araştırma neticesinde güncel yargı kararları da incelenerek alana faydalı olacak bir çalışma armağan edilmiştir.
Yazarın kaleminden kitabın konu ve kapsamını aktaracak olursak:
“Yapay zeka gerçekten bir buluş yapabilir mi? Eğer yapabiliyorsa, patent hukukunda yapay zekanın “buluşçu” olarak tanınması gerekir mi? Elinizde tuttuğunuz bu kitap, son yılların en tartışmalı ve çarpıcı hukuk meselelerinden birine ışık tutuyor: Yapay zekanın patent sistemindeki rolü ve sınırları.
Bu çalışma, özellikle Stephen Thaler tarafından geliştirilen DABUS isimli yapay zeka sisteminin İngiltere, Amerika Birleşik Devletleri ve diğer PCT ülkelerinde adına yapılan patent başvurularını ve bu başvuruların yargı mercilerinde nasıl karşılandığını ayrıntılarıyla inceliyor. DABUS gerçekten kendi başına bir buluş yapmış mıydı? Mahkemeler neden onu buluşçu olarak kabul etmedi? Bu soruların teknik ve hukuki boyutları, titizlikle değerlendiriliyor.
Kitap sadece yargı kararlarıyla sınırlı kalmıyor; yapay zeka nedir, makine öğrenmesi hangi prensiplere dayanır, dar yapay zeka ile süper yapay zeka arasındaki farklar nelerdir gibi temel soruları da sade ve anlaşılır bir dille açıklıyor. Aynı zamanda, yapay zekaya kişilik tanınması tartışmalarına yer veriyor; bu tartışmaların medya ve teknoloji şirketleri tarafından nasıl şekillendirildiğini sorguluyor.
Yapay zeka, Andrew Ng’nin de dediği gibi, günümüzde “yeni elektrik” gibi her alana yayılan, dönüştürücü bir teknolojidir. Ancak bu kitabın temel savı şudur: YZ, insanlık için gelişmiş bir araçtır- ve en azından öngörülebilir gelecekte- buluşçu değil, destekleyici bir aktör olarak değerlendirilmelidir. Hukukun, bu aracı abartmadan, yerinde ve gerçekçi bir çerçevede değerlendirmesi gerekir.
Bu kitap, teknik bilgiye boğulmadan, ama hukuki derinlikten de ödün vermeden, hukukçular, mühendisler ve yapay zeka ile ilgilenen tüm okuyucular için aydınlatıcı bir kaynak sunmaktadır.”
Kitabın içindekiler bölümü de aşağıda paylaşılmaktadır:
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS …………………………………………………… 9
INTRODUCTION ………………………………………………………………….. 11
CHAPTER ONE
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)
I. CHRONOLOGICAL OVERVIEW OF AI…………………………… 15
A) The History That Builds and Defines AI ………………………………. 15
1. Understanding AI: Algorithm ……………………………………………. 22
2. Definition of AI ……………………………………………………………….. 27
3. Human Intelligence and Machine Intelligence ……………………… 32
B) Machine Learning (ML) …………………………………………………….. 35
1. Definition of ML ……………………………………………………………… 35
2. Types of ML ……………………………………………………………………. 38
a. Supervised Learning (SL) ……………………………………………….. 38
b. Unsupervised Learning (USL) …………………………………………. 38
c. Reinforced Learning (RL) ……………………………………………….. 39
d. Deep Learning (DL) ……………………………………………………….. 40
aa. Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) ……………………………….. 41
bb. Examples of DL …………………………………………………………. 42
e. Evolutionary Computing (Programming) ………………………….. 42
II. AI TODAY ………………………………………………………………………… 45
A) Artificial Narrow Intelligence (ANI) …………………………………… 45
B) The Benefits of ANI ………………………………………………………….. 47
III. FUTURE OF AI……………………………………………………………….. 47
A) Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) …………………………………… 47
B) Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI) ………………………………………. 50
CHAPTER TWO
RELAVANT CONCEPTS IN PATENT LAW AND
PATENTABILITY OF AI SYSTEMS AND INVENTIONS
I. OVERVIEW OF PATENT LAW ………………………………………… 51
A) Etymology and History ……………………………………………………… 52
1. Turkish Patent Law ………………………………………………………….. 53
a. History of Turkish Patent Law …………………………………………. 53
b. The Recent Law …………………………………………………………….. 54
2. International Legislation …………………………………………………… 54
B) Invention and Inventor ……………………………………………………….. 55
1. Invention …………………………………………………………………………. 55
a. Invention in Turkish Law ………………………………………………… 55
b. Invention in Europe and Other Jurisdictions ……………………… 57
2. Inventor ………………………………………………………………………….. 57
a. Inventor in Turkish Law ………………………………………………….. 58
b. Inventor in Europe and Other Jurisdictions ……………………….. 59
C) Patentability Criteria ………………………………………………………….. 60
1. Novelty …………………………………………………………………………… 61
a. “State of Art” in Novelty …………………………………………………. 61
b. Explanation of Novelty with an Example ………………………….. 63
2. Inventive Step (Non-Obviousness) …………………………………….. 65
a. “State of Art” in Inventive Step ……………………………………….. 66
b. Exceptions of “State of Art” in Evaluating Inventive
Step ……………………………………………………………………………… 66
aa. First Exception: Unpublished Patent Applications ………….. 66
bb. Second Exception: The Related Area ……………………………. 67
c. Expert in the Field …………………………………………………………. 67
d. Determining the Inventive Step: “Problem-Solution”
Approach ……………………………………………………………………… 67
3. Industrial Applicability …………………………………………………….. 69
II. PATENTABILITY OF AI SYSTEMS AND AI
INVENTIONS ……………………………………………………………………. 70
A) Patentability of Computer Software …………………………………….. 71
B) Patentability of AI Systems ………………………………………………… 73
C) Patentability of AI Inventions ……………………………………………… 74
1. Disclosure of AI ………………………………………………………………. 74
2. Global Cooperation on AI …………………………………………………. 75
3. Inventorship of AI ……………………………………………………………. 75
4. Patent Law Term “The Skilled Person” and AI ……………………. 75
CHAPTER THREE
AI AS AN INVENTOR
I. RECENT ADVANCEMENT of AI APPLICATIONS in
DIFFERENT SECTORS ……………………………………………………. 77
II. RECOGNIZING AI: DIFFERENT APROACHES FOR
PERSONALITY ………………………………………………………………… 79
A) Electronic Personality ………………………………………………………… 80
B) Attorney/Representative Approach ……………………………………… 81
C) Artificial Human Approach ………………………………………………… 82
D) Slavery Approach ……………………………………………………………… 82
III. THE DABUS CASE: THE EARLY CROWING
ROOSTER ………………………………………………………………………. 83
A) What Is DABUS? ……………………………………………………………… 84
B) The Artificial Inventor Project (AIP) …………………………………… 87
C) DABUS Patent Applications ………………………………………………. 88
D) Rejection of DABUS Patent Applications ……………………………. 94
1. Decision in UK on DABUS Application …………………………….. 94
2. Decision of EPO on DABUS Application …………………………… 96
3. Decision in US on DABUS Application ……………………………… 97
4. Other PCT Countries: Australia, Germany, South Africa …….. 100
a. Decision in Australia on DABUS Application …………………. 102
b. Decision in Germany on DABUS Application …………………. 103
c. Decision in South Africa on DABUS Application ……………. 104
CHAPTER FOUR
FUTURE OF PATENT LAW REGARDING AI
I. FUTURE OF PATENT LAW ……………………………………………. 105
A) Can AI Be Recognized As Inventor …………………………………… 106
1. Arguments of the Positive Perspective ………………………………. 108
a. Argument One: Current System Discourage Honesty ………..109
b. Argument Two: Incentivise Innovation …………………………… 110
c. Argument Three: Reform in Patent Law Is
Indispensable ………………………………………………………………. 110
d. Argument Four: Society Will Be the Owner of the
Invention …………………………………………………………………….. 110
2. Arguments of the Negative Perspective …………………………….. 111
a. Argument One: Opponents of IPR Protection ………………….. 111
b. Argument Two: Opponents of Pre-acceptance …………………. 111
c. Argument Three: Inventiveness is Unique to Human
Being ………………………………………………………………………….. 112
B) Can AI Invent? ………………………………………………………………… 112
C) About the AI Inventions Cited in the Literature …………………… 114
1. Circuit Designs By John Koza’s “Invention Machine” ……….. 114
2. “Oral-B Cross Action Tooth Brush” by “Creativity
Machine” ………………………………………………………………………. 115
3. “Food Receipt” By Contest Winner Watson’s Jeopardy ………115
4. “Nose Cone” by Hitachi Company …………………………………… 116
5. “Fractal Food Container” and “Devices and Methods for
Attracting Enhanced Attention” by DABUS ……………………… 116
6. The NASA Antenna ……………………………………………………….. 116
7. “Digital Twin” Car Suspension by Siemens ………………………. 117
8. Robot Eve in Medical Field …………………………………………….. 117
D) Anthropomorphism in AI …………………………………………………. 118
CONCLUSION ……………………………………………………………………. 121
ABSTRACT …………………………………………………………………………. 125
ÖZET ………………………………………………………………………………….. 127
BIBLIOGRAPHY ………………………………………………………………… 129
LINKS …………………………………………………………………………………. 148
LIST OF FIGURES ……………………………………………………………… 150
Zehra Hanım’a yol gösterici çalışması için bizler de teşekkürlerimizi sunuyor ve eserin ilgili tüm kesimlere faydalı olmasını temenni ediyoruz.
IPR Gezgini
Temmuz 2025