T 0110/90 (Editable document form) vom 15.04.1993

1. Control items (e.g. printer control items) included in a text which is represented in the form of digital data are characteristic for the text- processing system in which they occur in that they are characteristic for the technical internal working of that system. Therefore, such control items represent technical features of the text-processing system in which they occur (Following decision T 163/85 "Colour television signal/BBC", OJ EPO 1990, 379).

2. Consequently, transforming control items which represent technical features belonging to one text-processing system into those belonging to another text-processing system represents a method having technical character.

3. If a method of transforming text represented as digital data according to which a source document, cast in a first editable form including a plurality of input control items, is transformed into a target document, cast in a second editable form including a plurality of output control items compatible therewith, is implemented by an appropriately programmed computer, the steps of that method represent rather the algorithm on which the computer program is based than a computer program as such and the program must be considered to be the technical means for carrying out the (technical) method (following decision T 208/84, "Computer related invention/VICOM", OJ EPO 1987, 14, reason 12).