What is the primary use of the “Alice test”?

The "Alice test" is a legal framework derived from the Supreme Court decision in Alice Corp. v. CLS Bank International, which primarily assesses whether a patent claim is directed to an abstract idea and, therefore, whether it meets the criteria for patent eligibility under Section 101 of the Patent Act. This test is crucial in determining the patentability of inventions that are perceived to fall into the realm of abstract ideas, which are not patentable.

The Alice test consists of two steps: firstly, identifying whether the claims are directed to a patent-ineligible concept, such as an abstract idea. If they are, the next step assesses whether the elements of the claim transform the nature of the claim into a patent-eligible application. This approach has been frequently applied in subsequent cases to evaluate the eligibility of various patent claims, especially in fields like software and business methods.

The other options relate to different aspects of patent evaluation or compliance but do not pertain to the specific purpose of the Alice test. The evaluation of novelty is about determining if an invention is new, which falls under different sections of patent law. The market value estimation relates to business and commercial considerations rather than legal patent eligibility. Lastly, compliance with international patent laws is outside the scope of the Alice