G 0002/12 vom 25.03.2015

Europäischer Rechtsprechungsidentifikator: ECLI:EP:BA:2015:G000212.20150325
Datum der Entscheidung: 25. März 2015
Aktenzeichen: G 0002/12
Antrag auf Überprüfung von: T 1242/06 2012-05-31
Anmeldenummer: 00940724.8
IPC-Klasse: A01H 5/10
Verfahrenssprache: Englisch
Verteilung: Im Amtsblatt des EPA veröffentlicht (A)
Download: Entscheidung auf Englisch
Amtsblattfassungen: Deutsch
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Weitere Entscheidungen für diese Akte: -
Zusammenfassungen für diese Entscheidung: -
Bezeichnung der Anmeldung: Method for breeding tomatoes having reduced water content and product of the method
Name des Antragstellers: State of Israel - Ministry of Agriculture
Name des Einsprechenden: Unilever N.V.
Kammer: -
Leitsatz: -
Relevante Rechtsnormen: Council Regulation (EC) No 2100/94 of 27 July 1994 on Community plant variety rights, CPVR Regulation Art 5(3), 13(2)Decision AC of 7 December 2006 amending the Implementing Regulations to the European Patent Convention 2000 Art 002European Patent Convention Art 100(a)European Patent Convention Art 112(1)(a)European Patent Convention Art 125 European Patent Convention Art 150(2)European Patent Convention Art 164 European Patent Convention Art 177 European Patent Convention Art 52 European Patent Convention Art 52(4) 1973 European Patent Convention Art 53 European Patent Convention Art 53(b) 1973 European Patent Convention Art 54 European Patent Convention Art 56 European Patent Convention Art 57 European Patent Convention Art 64(2)European Patent Convention Art 69 European Patent Convention R 23b(5) 1973 European Patent Convention R 23c 1973 European Patent Convention R 23d 1973 European Patent Convention R 26 European Patent Convention R 27(b)European Patent Convention R 27(c)European Patent Convention R 28(c)Law of the Contracting StatesLaw of the European Union: Directive 98/44/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 July 1998 on the legal protection of biotechnological inventions, Biotech Directive Art 2, 3, 4, 6(2)Rules of procedure of the Enlarged Board of Appeal Art 13Rules of procedure of the Enlarged Board of Appeal Art 14(2)The Netherlands: Rijksoctrooiwet 1995 (2014) Art 3Transitional provisions (EPC): Decision_AC of 28 June 2001 on the transitional provisions under_Art_7of the Act revising the EPC_Art_001(1)United Kingdom: Patents Act 1977 (2014), Section 76a and Schedule A2
Schlagwörter: admissibility of referrals by the board of appeal - yes
point of law of fundamental importance - yes
effect of Article 53(b) EPC on the allowability of a product claim or a product-by-process claim directed to plants or plant material
essentially biological process for the production of plants
interpretation of exclusion from patentability
rules of interpretation
dynamic interpretation - no
legal erosion of the exception to patentability - no
Orientierungssatz: 1. The exclusion of essentially biological processes for the production of plants in Article 53(b) EPC does not have a negative effect on the allowability of a product claim directed to plants or plant material such as a fruit.
2. In particular, the fact that the only method available at the filing date for generating the claimed subject-matter is an essentially biological process for the production of plants disclosed in the patent application does not render a claim directed to plants or plant material other than a plant variety unallowable.
3. In the circumstances, it is of no relevance that the protection conferred by the product claim encompasses the generation of the claimed product by means of an essentially biological process for the production of plants excluded as such under Article 53(b) EPC.
Zitierte Akten: G 0001/83 G 0005/83 G 0001/88 G 0002/88 G 0001/90 G 0006/91 G 0009/92 G 0004/93 G 0004/95 G 0001/98 G 0003/98 G 0004/98 G 0002/02 G 0003/02 G 0001/03 G 0002/03 G 0001/04 G 0002/06 G 0001/07 G 0002/08 G 0002/10 J 0008/82 J 0004/91 J 0010/98 T 0128/82 T 0150/82 T 0144/83 T 0219/83 T 0248/85 T 0385/86 T 0148/87 T 0320/87 T 0129/88 T 0019/90 T 0356/93 T 1173/97 T 0866/01 T 0315/03 T 0154/04 T 0788/07 T 1854/07 T 2239/08
Zitierende Akten: G 0001/18 G 0001/19 G 0003/19 G 0001/24 J 0006/22 J 0005/23 T 1242/06 T 1988/12 T 2235/13 T 0318/14 T 1325/15 T 1807/15 T 0853/16 T 1787/16 T 2320/16 T 2343/16 T 0032/17 T 0488/18 T 0623/18 T 1063/18 T 2243/18 T 2734/18 T 2774/18 T 2796/18 T 2840/18 T 0112/19 T 0281/19 T 0420/19 T 0958/19 T 0959/19 T 1289/19 T 1370/19 T 1384/19 T 1854/19 T 2827/19 T 0056/21 T 0573/21 T 1553/22 T 2447/22 T 1874/23 T 2049/23

ORDER

For these reasons it is decided that:

The questions of law referred to the Enlarged Board of Appeal are answered as follows:

1. The exclusion of essentially biological processes for the production of plants in Article 53(b) EPC does not have a negative effect on the allowability of a product claim directed to plants or plant material such as a fruit.

2. In particular, the fact that the only method available at the filing date for generating the claimed subject-matter is an essentially biological process for the production of plants disclosed in the patent application does not render a claim directed to plants or plant material other than a plant variety unallowable.

3. In the circumstances, it is of no relevance that the protection conferred by the product claim encompasses the generation of the claimed product by means of an essentially biological process for the production of plants excluded as such under Article 53(b) EPC.