European Patent Office

T 0367/96 vom 03.12.1997

Europäischer Rechtsprechungsidentifikator
ECLI:EP:BA:1997:T036796.19971203
Datum der Entscheidung
3. Dezember 1997
Aktenzeichen
T 0367/96
Antrag auf Überprüfung von
-
Anmeldenummer
87402408.6
IPC-Klasse
B01D 53/22
Verfahrenssprache
Englisch
Verteilung
Nicht verteilt (D)
Amtsblattfassungen
Keine AB-Links gefunden
Weitere Entscheidungen für diese Akte
T 0367/96 Request of correction/L'AIR LIQUIDE 2001-06-21
Zusammenfassungen für diese Entscheidung
-
Bezeichnung der Anmeldung
Process for membrane separation of gas mixtures
Name des Antragstellers
L'AIR LIQUIDE, SOCIETE ANONYME / GEORGES CLAUDE
Name des Einsprechenden
THE DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY
Kammer
3.4.02
Leitsatz
-
Schlagwörter
Main request: referring to the Enlarged Board of Appeal (no)
1st auxiliary request: novelty (yes); inventive step (no)
2nd and 3rd auxiliary request: disregarded
4th auxiliary request: support by description (accepted)
Novelty (yes)
Inventive step (yes)
Orientierungssatz
1. An interest to oppose is not required for the admissibility of an opposition and, as long as said opposition has been correctly based in the notice of opposition on lack of novelty and/or lack of inventive step as grounds of opposition, this "prima facie" also applies to a case wherein the opponent argues that the invention in the impugned patent is "futile" and has no useful result (see point 2 of the reasons; decision T 0798/93, OJ EPO 1997, 363, followed).
2. Article 102(3) EPC does not allow objections of lack of support by the description of an amended main claim if said claim results in substance from the combination of claims of the patent as granted in accordance with the cross references therein and thus concerns a specific object which as such was already claimed in the patent as granted (see point 6.2 of the reasons; decision T 301/87, OJ EPO 1990, 335, followed).

ORDER

For these reasons it is decided that:

1. The decision under appeal is set aside.

2. The case is remitted to the first instance with the order to maintain the patent in amended form on the basis of the fourth auxiliary request (filed as "Patentee's Fifth Request, with 5 claims, during the oral proceedings of 3 December 1997), with the description and drawings, if necessary, to be adapted.