"I'm not particularly knowledgable but I always understood "patent eligible" subject matter to be equivalent to the UK concept of "statutorily patentable" subject matter, i.e. encompassing stuff not excluded by way of policy as business method, computer program, etc; public policy or morality, or the methods of treatment provisions. So I guess in the context of decisions it basically means subject matter that would not be excluded as such :-) by 35 USC 101 etc. I don't read it as being equivalent to "patentable" in the sense of having novelty, inventive step and so on."
Source: http://ipkitten.blogspot.com/2009/01/able-or-eligible.html


