G 0002/03 (Disclaimer/GENETIC SYSTEMS) of 08.04.2004
- European Case Law Identifier
- ECLI:EP:BA:2004:G000203.20040408
- Date of decision
- 8 April 2004
- Case number
- G 0002/03
- Petition for review of
- T 0451/99 2003-03-14
- Application number
- 86902998.3
- IPC class
- C12Q 1/70
- Language of proceedings
- English
- Distribution
- Published in the EPO's Official Journal (A)
- Download
- Decision in English
- Other decisions for this case
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- Abstracts for this decision
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- Application title
- Synthetic antigens for the detection of aids-related disease
- Applicant name
- GENETIC SYSTEMS CORPORATION
- Opponent name
- Roche Diagnostics GmbH
Dade Behring Marburg GmbH - Board
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- Headnote
1. An amendment to a claim by the introduction of a disclaimer may not be refused under Article 123(2) EPC for the sole reason that neither the disclaimer nor the subject-matter excluded by it from the scope of the claim have a basis in the application as filed.
2. The following criteria are to be applied for assessing the allowability of a disclaimer which is not disclosed in the application as filed:
2.1 A disclaimer may be allowable in order to:
- restore novelty by delimiting a claim against state of the art under Article 54(3) and (4) EPC;
- restore novelty by delimiting a claim against an accidental anticipation under Article 54(2) EPC; an anticipation is accidental if it is so unrelated to and remote from the claimed invention that the person skilled in the art would never have taken it into consideration when making the invention; and
- disclaim subject-matter which, under Articles 52 to 57 EPC, is excluded from patentability for non-technical reasons.
2.2 A disclaimer should not remove more than is necessary either to restore novelty or to disclaim subject-matter excluded from patentability for non-technical reasons.
2.3 A disclaimer which is or becomes relevant for the assessment of inventive step or sufficiency of disclosure adds subject-matter contrary to Article 123(2) EPC.
2.4 A claim containing a disclaimer must meet the requirements of clarity and conciseness of Article 84 EPC.
- Relevant legal provisions
- European Patent Convention Art 112(1) 1973European Patent Convention Art 123(2) 1973European Patent Convention Art 123(3) 1973European Patent Convention Art 139(2) 1973European Patent Convention Art 52 1973European Patent Convention Art 53 1973European Patent Convention Art 54(2) 1973European Patent Convention Art 54(3) 1973European Patent Convention Art 54(4) 1973European Patent Convention Art 56 1973European Patent Convention Art 57 1973European Patent Convention Art 60(2) 1973European Patent Convention Art 84 1973European Patent Convention Art 87(1) 1973European Patent Convention R 27(1)(b) 1973European Patent Convention R 29(1) 1973
- Keywords
- Allowability of disclaimers - delimitation against state of the art under Article 54(2) and (3)(4) - accidental anticipation - exclusion of subject-matter not eligible for patent protection
Drafting of disclaimers - requirements of clarity and conciseness - Catchword
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- Cited cases
- G 0005/83G 0001/93G 0002/98T 0013/84T 0292/85T 0313/86T 0170/87T 0301/87T 0238/88T 0939/92T 0074/93T 0608/96T 0323/97T 1071/97T 0351/98T 0507/99
- Citing cases
- G 0001/07G 0002/10G 0002/12G 0002/13G 0001/14G 0001/16G 0001/23T 0268/99T 0451/99T 0717/99T 1049/99T 0062/00T 0426/00T 0500/00T 0725/00T 0810/00T 1102/00T 0002/01T 0134/01T 0236/01T 0454/01T 0580/01T 0788/01T 0814/01T 0866/01T 1131/01T 1146/01T 0067/02T 0161/02T 0506/02T 0853/02T 0175/03T 0213/03T 0495/03T 1223/03T 0210/04T 0543/04T 1331/04T 1345/04T 0298/05T 0342/05T 0540/05T 0543/05T 0544/05T 0708/05T 1213/05T 1286/05T 1522/05T 0588/06T 1107/06T 1308/06T 0008/07T 0146/07T 1068/07T 1695/07T 1721/07T 2020/07T 0005/08T 0156/08T 1248/08T 1473/08T 1925/08T 0385/09T 0477/09T 0748/09T 1045/09T 1336/09T 1425/09T 1492/09T 2102/09T 0275/10T 1836/10T 2136/10T 2311/10T 0074/11T 0136/12T 0562/12T 0404/13T 0697/13T 0850/13T 0852/13T 1856/13T 0472/14T 0600/16T 0712/16T 1532/16T 2350/16T 2275/18T 1170/19T 0768/20T 1137/20T 1857/20T 0273/22T 2217/22T 1132/23T 1844/23
ORDER
For these reasons, it is decided that:
The questions referred to the Enlarged Board of Appeal are answered as follows:
1. An amendment to a claim by the introduction of a disclaimer may not be refused under Article 123(2) EPC for the sole reason that neither the disclaimer nor the subject-matter excluded by it from the scope of the claim have a basis in the application as filed.
2. The following criteria are to be applied for assessing the allowability of a disclaimer which is not disclosed in the application as filed:
2.1. A disclaimer may be allowable in order to:
- restore novelty by delimiting a claim against state of the art under Article 54(3) and (4) EPC;
- restore novelty by delimiting a claim against an accidental anticipation under Article 54(2) EPC; an anticipation is accidental if it is so unrelated to and remote from the claimed invention that the person skilled in the art would never have taken it into consideration when making the invention; and
- disclaim subject-matter which, under Articles 52 to 57 EPC, is excluded from patentability for non-technical reasons.
2.2. A disclaimer should not remove more than is necessary either to restore novelty or to disclaim subject-matter excluded from patentability for non-technical reasons.
2.3. A disclaimer which is or becomes relevant for the assessment of inventive step or sufficiency of disclosure adds subject-matter contrary to Article 123(2) EPC.
2.4. A claim containing a disclaimer must meet the requirements of clarity and conciseness of Article 84 EPC.