CASE LAW
ANNEX 1
| Decisions discussed in the Case Law Report for 2009 |
I. | PATENTABILITY |
A. | Patentable inventions |
1. | Non-inventions under Article 52(2) and (3) EPC |
1.1 | Computer-implemented inventions |
| G 3/08 — 12.05.10 |
B. | Exceptions to patentability |
1. | Breaches of "ordre public" or morality |
| T 522/04 — 3.3.08 — 28.05.09 |
2. | Surgical methods |
| G 1/07 — 15.02.10 |
C. | Novelty |
1. | PCT applications as state of the art |
| T 1010/07 — 3.2.04 — 06.11.08 |
2. | Availability to the public |
2.1 | General issues |
| T 355/07 — 3.2.05 — 28.11.08 T 1829/06 — 3.4.03 — 10.11.09 |
2.2 | Obligation to maintain secrecy |
| T 1309/07 — 3.2.04 — 23.06.09 T 1464/05 — 3.4.02 — 14.05.09 |
2.3 | Prior use - issues of proof |
| T 738/04 — 3.4.01 — 11.12.08 |
3. | Novelty of use |
3.1 | Second (or further) medical use |
3.1.1 | Format of the so-called Swiss-type claim |
| G 2/08 — 19.02.10 |
3.1.2 | Difference in the prescribed administration regimen |
| G 2/08 — 19.02.10 |
3.2 | Second (or further) non-medical use |
3.2.1 | Claims directed to the use of a known compound |
| T 1855/06 — 3.3.07 — 18.06.09 |
3.2.2 | Claim directed to the use of a known process for a particular purpose |
| T 1179/07 — 3.3.03 — 10.03.09 |
D. | Inventive step |
1. | Skilled person |
| T 1464/05 — 3.4.02 — 14.05.09 T 1160/07 — 3.2.07 — 28.07.09 T 1030/06 — 3.5.01 — 17.12.08 |
2. | Treatment of technical and non-technical features |
| T 756/06 — 3.5.01 — 18.04.08 G 3/08 — 12.05.10 |
3. | Denial of inventive step - selection from obvious alternatives |
| T 1072/07 — 3.2.07 — 19.12.08 |
E. | Notion of "industrial application" |
1. | General issues |
| T 18/09 — 3.3.08 — 21.10.09 T 1450/07 — 3.3.08 — 11.02.09 |
II. | CONDITIONS TO BE MET BY AN APPLICATION |
A. | Sufficiency of disclosure |
1. | Clarity and completeness of disclosure |
| T 990/07 — 3.4.01 — 23.02.10 |
2. | Reproducibility without undue burden |
| T 1063/06 — 3.3.10 — 03.02.09 T 1886/06 — 3.3.06 — 23.10.09 |
3. | The relationship between Article 83 and Article 84 EPC |
3.1 | Article 83 EPC and support from the description |
| T 1225/07 — 3.3.06 — 29.05.09 |
3.2 | Article 83 EPC and the clarity of claims |
| T 608/07 — 3.3.03 — 27.04.09 |
III. | AMENDMENTS |
A. | |
1. | General issues |
| T 1511/07 — 3.3.09 — 31.07.09 T 1374/07 — 3.3.02 — 13.01.09 |
2. | Intermediate generalisation - non-disclosed combinations |
| T 879/09 — 3.4.03 — 14.01.10 |
3 | Disclaimers |
3.1 | Decisions applying the criteria established by G 1/03 and G 2/03 |
| T 8/07 — 3.3.03 — 07.05.09 T 440/04 — 3.3.05 — 26.11.08 T 795/05 — 3.3.03 — 13.12.07 T 1107/06 — 3.3.04 — 03.12.08 T 1068/07 — 3.3.08 — 25.06.10 |
4 | The application as originally filed - formal aspects |
4.1 | Subsequent addition of details |
| T 2321/08 — 3.5.02 — 11.05.09 T 1123/09 — 3.5.05 — 17.12.09 |
5. | "Tests" for assessing the allowability of an amendment |
5.1 | Direct and unambiguous deducibility of amendments from the application as filed |
| T 1125/07 — 3.3.10 — 07.10.09 T 1089/07 — 3.3.10 — 06.10.09 T 1107/06 — 3.3.04 — 03.12.08 T 985/06 — 3.3.06 — 16.07.08 T 495/06 — 3.4.03 — 04.11.08 T 824/06 — 3.3.09 — 09.12.08 T 314/07 — 3.3.10 — 16.04.09 |
B. | |
| T 2017/07 — 3.3.10 — 26.11.09 |
C. | Relationship between Article 123(2) and Article 123(3) EPC |
1. | Resolving the conflict in exceptional cases |
| T 567/08 — 3.2.04 — 28.09.09 |
IV. | DIVISIONAL APPLICATIONS |
1. | Double patenting |
| T 1423/07 — 3.3.02 — 19.04.10 |
2. | Filing date |
| J 2/08 — 3.1.01 — 27.05.09 J 5/08 — 3.1.01 — 09.07.09 |
V. | PRIORITY |
1. | Exhibition priority |
| T 382/07 — 3.3.04 — 26.09.08 |
2. | First application |
| T 477/06 — 3.5.01 — 20.02.09 |
VI. | RULES COMMON TO ALL PROCEEDINGS |
A. | The principle of the protection of legitimate expectations |
1. | Examples of the legitimate expectations principle |
| J 6/08 — 3.1.01 — 27.05.09 |
2. | Obligation to draw attention to easily remediable deficiencies |
| J 2/08 — 3.1.01 — 27.05.09 |
3. | Principle of legitimate expectations where the previous case law is departed from |
3.1 | Point in time from which a new decision which deviates from existing practice becomes generally applicable |
| G 2/08 — 19.02.10 |
B. | Right to be heard |
1. | General principle |
| T 1997/08 — 3.2.04 — 01.07.09 |
2. | Non-appearance at oral hearings before the boards of appeal |
| T 1903/06 — 3.4.01 — 27.05.09 |
C. | Oral proceedings |
1. | Obligation to give notice if not attending oral proceedings |
| T 69/07 — 3.2.07 — 10.03.09 |
2. | Fixing or postponing the date for oral proceedings |
| T 601/06 — 3.5.05 — 05.05.09 T 1923/06 — 3.2.04 — 24.04.09 |
3. | Request for oral proceedings as a reply to a communication of a board of appeal |
| T 1382/04 — 3.5.01 — 30.07.09 |
4. | Presence of assistants during deliberations of the board |
| T 857/06 — 3.3.04 — 05.06.08 |
5. | Minutes of oral proceedings |
| T 508/08 — 3.3.08 — 08.10.09 |
6. | Oral proceedings by video conference |
| T 1266/07 — 3.5.03 — 26.11.09 |
D. | Time limits, further processing and interruption of proceedings |
1. | Calculation of time limits under Rule 131 EPC |
| T 2056/08 — 3.2.04 — 15.01.09 |
E. | Re-establishment of rights |
1. | Due care on the part of the professional representative |
| T 1095/06 — 3.3.07 — 07.05.08 T 493/08 — 3.4.02 — 29.09.09 |
2. | One-year time limit following the expiry of the unobserved time limit |
| J 6/08 — 3.1.01 — 27.05.09 |
3. | Removal of the cause of non-compliance |
| T 493/08 — 3.4.02 — 29.09.09 |
F. | Rules relating to Fees |
1. | Debit orders |
| T 773/07 — 3.3.10 — 06.11.08 |
2. | Reduction of the examination fee |
| J 1/09 — 3.1.01 — 06.10.09 |
G. | Procedural steps |
1. | Appeal procedure |
| T 911/06 — 3.5.02 — 11.11.09 |
H. | Law of evidence |
1. | Hearing witnesses and experts |
| T 61/07 — 3.2.07 — 19.08.08 |
2. | Taking of evidence - scope and right to be heard |
| T 95/07 — 3.3.03 — 29.05.09 |
I. | Representation |
1. | Oral submissions by an accompanying person |
1.1 | General |
| T 520/07 — 3.2.01 — 18.02.09 T 378/08 — 3.2.06 — 24.11.09 |
J. | Decisions of EPO departments |
1. | Suspected partiality |
| G 3/08 — 16.10.09 |
1.1 | Members of the examining divisions |
| T 1574/05 — 3.2.02 — 18.12.08 |
1.2 | Members of the Enlarged Board of Appeal |
| G 2/08 — 19.02.10 |
2. | Form of decisions |
2.1 | Reasons for the decision |
| T 1612/07 — 3.4.01 — 05.05.09 |
2.2 | Signatures on a decision |
| T 211/05 — 3.5.04 — 30.07.09 J 14/07 — 3.1.01 — 02.04.09 |
K. | Other procedural questions |
1. | Language privilege |
| T 700/05 — 3.3.07 — 18.09.08 |
L. | Interpretation of the EPC |
1. | The Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties |
| G 1/07 — 15.02.10 |
VII | PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE EPO |
A. | Preliminary and formalities examination |
1. | Correction of priority declarations |
| J 16/08 — 3.1.01 — 31.08.09 |
B. | Examination procedure |
1. | Issue of a further communication under Article 113(1) EPC |
| T 1870/07 — 3.2.02 — 20.03.09 T 1854/08 — 3.5.02 — 15.09.09 |
2. | Withdrawal of the patent application or abandonment of parts thereof |
| J 10/08 — 3.1.01 — 16.11.09 |
C. | Special features of opposition and appeal proceedings |
1. | Late submission |
1.1 | Examination as to relevance |
| T 931/06 — 3.4.01 — 21.11.08 T 1774/07 — 3.3.06 — 23.09.09 |
1.2 | Where there is abuse of procedure |
| T 1757/06 — 3.2.03 — 18.11.08 |
2. | Withdrawal of opposition during opposition proceedings |
| T 562/06 — 3.2.03 — 17.10.08 |
3. | Intervention |
| T 305/08 — 3.2.06 — 18.02.10 |
4. | |
4.1 | The legal position of the third party |
| T 390/07 — 3.3.08 — 20.11.08 |
5. | Transfer of party status |
5.1 | Party status as opponent |
5.1.1 | Legally valid transfer |
| T 384/08 — 3.3.04 — 26.06.09 |
5.1.2 | Consequences of an invalid transfer for the admissibility of appeal |
| T 1081/06 — 3.3.03 — 10.10.08 |
6. | Apportionment of costs - failure of a party to appear at the oral proceedings |
| T 1079/07 — 3.4.01 — 13.05.09 T 190/06 — 3.3.09 — 18.11.08 T 273/07 — 3.2.02 — 08.01.09 |
D. | Opposition procedure |
1. | Admissibility of the opposition |
1.1 | Formal requirements of opposition |
| T 4/05 — 3.3.10 — 03.03.09 T 1632/06 — 3.3.01 — 02.09.09 |
1.2 | Substantiation of the opposition |
| T 1194/07 — 3.2.04 — 30.04.09 T 1074/05 — 3.5.04 — 08.09.09 |
2. | Substantive examination of the opposition - fresh grounds |
| T 597/07 — 3.3.06 — 12.08.09 |
3. | Substantive examination of amendments |
| T 656/07 — 3.2.02 — 06.05.09 |
E. | Appeal procedure |
1. | Transitional provisions - general principles |
| T 193/06 — 3.5.05 — 03.06.09 |
2. | Devolutive effect of the appeal |
| T 1382/08 — 3.4.01 — 30.03.09 |
3. | Binding effect of requests - no reformatio in peius |
3.1 | General issues |
| T 1194/06 — 3.3.01 — 06.08.09 T 659/07 — 3.2.04 — 28.05.09 T 384/08 — 3.3.04 — 26.06.09 |
4. | Filing and admissibility of the appeal |
4.1 | Interlocutory decisions |
| T 857/06 — 3.3.04 — 05.06.08 |
4.2 | Board competent to hear case |
| T 79/07 — 3.2.01 — 24.06.08 T 1382/08 — 3.4.01 — 30.03.09 |
4.3 | Form and time limit of appeal |
4.3.1 | Electronic filing of appeal |
| T 1090/08 — 3.3.08 — 30.03.09 T 1427/09 — 3.5.05 — 17.11.09 |
4.3.2 | Form and content of notice of appeal |
| T 358/08 — 3.2.06 — 09.07.09 T 509/07 — 3.5.04 — 30.09.09 T 783/08 — 3.3.03 — 15.07.09 |
4.4 | Statement of grounds of appeal |
4.4.1 | General principles |
| T 509/07 — 3.5.04 — 30.09.09 T 1763/06 — 3.4.02 — 15.09.09 T 760/08 — 3.2.04 — 19.01.10 |
5. | Parallel proceedings |
| T 18/09 — 3.3.08 — 21.10.09 |
6. | Remittal to the department of first instance |
6.1 | Remittal following filing or late submission of relevant new document |
6.1.1 | General |
| T 1913/06 — 3.2.04 — 30.09.08 T 1007/05 — 3.5.04 — 18.06.09 T 1077/06 — 3.3.04 — 19.02.09 |
7 | Binding effect |
7.1 | General principles |
| T 51/08 — 3.5.05 — 07.05.09 |
8. | Interlocutory revision |
8.1 | Substantial procedural violation |
| T 1891/07 — 3.2.01 — 13.03.09 |
9. | Referral to the Enlarged Board of Appeal |
9.1 | Ensuring uniform application of the law |
| G 3/08 — 12.05.10 |
10. | Petition for review |
10.1 | General |
| R 12/09 — 03.12.09 |
10.2 | Obligation to raise objections in accordance with Rule 106 EPC |
| R 4/08 — 20.03.09 R 7/08 — 22.06.09 R 8/08 — 19.05.09 R 9/08 — 21.01.09 R 6/09 — 03.06.09 |
10.3 | Procedure in dealing with petitions for review in accordance with Rule 109 EPC |
| R 3/09 — 03.04.09 |
10.4 | Fundamental violation of Article 113 EPC |
| R 11/08 — 06.04.09 R 7/09 — 22.07.09 R 8/09 — 23.09.09 R 13/09 — 22.10.09 |
10.5 | Any other procedural defect |
| R 11/08 — 06.04.09 |
11. | Filing of amended claims in appeal proceedings |
11.1 | Requests not examined by the opposition division |
| T 356/08 — 3.2.06 — 09.07.09 T 390/07 — 3.3.08 — 20.11.08 |
11.2 | Filing of requests during the oral proceedings |
| T 979/07 — 3.4.02 — 15.10.09 T 1790/06 — 3.3.08 — 09.12.08 |
11.3 | Late filing of dependent claims |
| T 565/07 — 3.2.03 — 10.09.09 |
12. | Reimbursement of appeal fees |
| T 1098/07 — 3.2.04 — 26.02.09 T 1382/08 — 3.4.01 — 30.03.09 T 1078/07 — 3.2.02 — 18.09.09 |
VIII. | THE EPO ACTING AS A PCT AUTHORITY |
1. | Language of the proceedings |
| J 8/07 — 3.1.01 — 08.12.08 G 4/08 — 16.02.10 |