patentability in religious/paranormal context

[tmi100]

My state is Maryland.

My question is, if a proposed business method produces a real scientifically valid result but to be useful, it relies on public belief in something like astrology, ghosts, or esp or something would it still be considered patentable?

For example let's say there's a business method that produces a number which is a statistical probability related to planetary data that could have no concievable use/industrial applicability except to those who believe in astrology, a large number of whom might buy it. Would such a business method, which does produce a real, definite result and makes no claim itself of a supernatural nature, be possibly considered patentable? Thanks for anyone who can help.

 

[divgradcurl]

My state is Maryland.

My question is, if a proposed business method produces a real scientifically valid result but to be useful, it relies on public belief in something like astrology, ghosts, or esp or something would it still be considered patentable?

For example let's say there's a business method that produces a number which is a statistical probability related to planetary data that could have no concievable use/industrial applicability except to those who believe in astrology, a large number of whom might buy it. Would such a business method, which does produce a real, definite result and makes no claim itself of a supernatural nature, be possibly considered patentable? Thanks for anyone who can help.

Hard to say what the patent office might think of it. Business method patents in and of themselves stretch the boundaries of 35 U.S.C. 101, which defines the scope of patentable inventions. If Amazon can patent one-click shopping, you might be able to patent your computerized atrological number generator, or whatever it is!

 

[tmi100]

More specifically if an invention is only useful/applicable to those who believe in something not scientifically proven, is that still useful/applicable? I mean, I guess, if there are a lot of people that would buy the invention, does that decide whether it's 'useful' more than anything else, even if a scientist wouldn't touch it with a 10 ft pole.

Maybe my question is too broad, thanks for trying.

 

[divgradcurl]

I guess I'm not really sure what you are asking. If you have an invention that, say, produces an astrologically significant number based on certain inputs, that might be patentable, even if the numbers are only significant to someone who believes in astrology.

However, if you have an invention that, to a nonbeliever, does nothing, and only has an "output" or a "result" that can be seen or understood by a believer, that probably would not be patentable.

That said, considering some of the things that have been granted patents, who knows.