4.1.2 Offensive and non-offensive use 

Special care must be taken when dealing with applications in which the invention has both an offensive and a non-offensive use, e.g. a process for breaking open locked safes, where use by a burglar is offensive and use by a locksmith in an emergency non-offensive. In such cases, no objection is raised under Art. 53(a). Similarly, if a claimed invention defines a copying machine with features resulting in an improved precision of reproduction and an embodiment of this apparatus could comprise further features (not claimed but apparent to the skilled person) whose only purpose would be to allow also for the reproduction of security strips in banknotes strikingly similar to those in genuine banknotes, the claimed apparatus would cover an embodiment for producing counterfeit money which could be considered to fall under Art. 53(a). There is, however, no reason to consider the copying machine as claimed to be excluded from patentability, since its improved properties could be used for many acceptable purposes (see G 1/98, Reasons 3.3.3). However, if the application contains an explicit reference to a use which is contrary to "ordre public" or morality, this reference must be deleted under Rule 48(1)(a).