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Full-text of the most recent four weeks of EP-A and EP-B publications
"Neem tree oil" case: European patent No. 0436 257 revoked
Munich, 10 May 2000 --- The Opposition Division of the European Patent Office responsible for this case has decided to revoke the patent, after two days of oral proceedings in which the patent proprietor, W.R. Grace and the US Department of Agriculture, and the Opponents, two non-Governmental Organisations and one Member of the European Parliament, were heard. The patent was revoked since the claims were not novel in view of public prior use, which had taken place in India.