G 0001/05 (Divisional/ASTROPOWER) of 28.06.2007

European Case Law Identifier: ECLI:EP:BA:2007:G000105.20070628
Date of decision: 28 June 2007
Case number: G 0001/05
Petition for review of: T 0039/03 2005-08-26
Application number: 99100131.4
IPC class: H01L 31/18
Language of proceedings: English
Distribution: Published in the EPO's Official Journal (A)
Download: Decision in English
OJ versions: German
English
French
Other decisions for this case: G 0001/05 Exclusion and objection/XXX 2006-12-07 G 0001/05 Exclusion and objection/XXX 2006-12-07 G 0001/05 Ausschließung und Ablehnung/XXX 2006-12-07 G 0001/05 Exclusion et récusation/XXX 2006-12-07
Abstracts for this decision: -
Application title: Improved columnar-grained polycrystalline solar cell and process of manufacture
Applicant name: ASTROPOWER Inc.
Opponent name: -
Board: -
Headnote: So far as Article 76(1) EPC is concerned, a divisional application which at its actual date of filing contains subject- matter extending beyond the content of the earlier application as filed can be amended later in order that its subject-matter no longer so extends, even at a time when the earlier application is no longer pending. Furthermore, the same limitations apply to these amendments as to amendments to any other (non-divisional) applications.
Relevant legal provisions: European Patent Convention Art 100(c) 1973 European Patent Convention Art 102(3) 1973 European Patent Convention Art 112(1)(a) 1973 European Patent Convention Art 113(1) 1973 European Patent Convention Art 123(1) 1973 European Patent Convention Art 123(2) 1973 European Patent Convention Art 138(1)(c) 1973 European Patent Convention Art 138(2) 1973 European Patent Convention Art 54(3) 1973 European Patent Convention Art 75(2) 1973 European Patent Convention Art 76(1) 1973 European Patent Convention Art 76(2) 1973 European Patent Convention Art 76(3) 1973 European Patent Convention Art 77(5) 1973 European Patent Convention Art 82 1973 European Patent Convention Art 96(2) 1973 European Patent Convention Art 97(1) 1973 European Patent Convention R 25(1) 1973 European Patent Convention R 25(2) 1973 European Patent Convention R 51(2) 1973 European Patent Convention R 86(3) 1973 European Patent Convention R 86(4) 1973Hydroacoustics Incorporated's Applications [1981] FSR 538Rules of procedure of the Enlarged Board of Appeal Art 8UK Patents Act 1977: Sections 76(1), 130(7)
Keywords: Invalidity as a result of non-compliance with Article 76(1) EPC on filing a divisional application - no
Amendment to conform with Article 76(1) EPC - allowable, even if at time of amendment earlier application no longer pending
Content of a member of a sequence of divisional applications must be disclosed in each of the preceding applications in the sequence as filed.
Claims of a member of a sequence of divisional applications need not be directed to subject matter within the scope of the claims of the preceding applications in the sequence as filed.
Catchword: -
Cited cases: G 0001/93 G 0004/98 J 0015/85 J 0002/01 T 0514/88 T 0527/88 T 0122/90 T 0860/90 T 0441/92 T 0873/94 T 0276/97 T 0904/97 T 1074/97 T 0555/00 T 0561/00 T 0743/00 T 1158/01 T 0720/02 T 0797/02 T 0090/03 T 0873/04 T 1040/04 T 1092/04 T 1409/05
Citing cases: G 0002/08 G 0003/08 G 0004/08 G 0001/09 G 0002/10 G 0004/19 R 0012/09 R 0015/11 R 0002/12 R 0019/12 R 0008/13 R 0002/14 R 0002/15 J 0020/05 J 0005/07 J 0002/08 J 0001/09 J 0007/13 J 0019/13 J 0013/14 T 0039/03 T 0307/03 T 0556/03 T 1115/03 T 0936/04 T 1040/04 T 1160/04 T 0047/05 T 0265/05 T 0687/05 T 1387/05 T 1409/05 T 1018/06 T 1020/06 T 1491/06 T 1497/06 T 0868/07 T 0993/07 T 1033/07 T 1391/07 T 1423/07 T 1465/07 T 1501/07 T 1502/07 T 0051/08 T 0463/08 T 0464/08 T 0465/08 T 0600/08 T 0941/08 T 1799/08 T 2082/08 T 2321/08 T 0144/09 T 0549/09 T 0925/09 T 0961/09 T 0962/09 T 1627/09 T 2175/09 T 2329/09 T 0196/10 T 0471/10 T 0803/10 T 2402/10 T 2461/10 T 0649/11 T 0683/11 T 1155/11 T 1483/11 T 1736/11 T 1760/11 T 2563/11 T 0879/12 T 1780/12 T 1808/12 T 2450/12 T 0557/13 T 1765/13 T 1766/13 T 1852/13 T 1889/13 T 1931/13 T 2041/13 T 2089/13 T 0013/14 T 0015/14 T 0318/14 T 0470/14 T 1257/14 T 1856/14 T 0049/15 T 1146/15 T 1824/15 T 2175/15 T 2290/15 T 1864/16 T 2440/16 T 2707/16 T 0568/17 T 1243/17 T 1656/17 T 1966/17 T 2078/17 T 2475/17 T 0363/18 T 0450/18 T 0844/18 T 1098/18 T 1255/18 T 2327/18 T 0339/19 T 1134/19 T 1219/19 T 1312/19 T 1566/19 T 1770/19 T 2476/19 T 2805/19 T 3035/19 T 3167/19 T 0051/20 T 0466/20 T 1493/20 T 2252/21 T 0563/22 T 0582/22 T 1332/22 T 1446/22 T 1870/22 T 2274/22 T 2594/22 T 0911/23 T 1128/23 T 1876/23

ORDER

For these reasons, the questions of law which were referred to the Enlarged Board of Appeal are answered as follows:

So far as Article 76(1) EPC is concerned, a divisional application which at its actual date of filing contains subject-matter extending beyond the content of the earlier application as filed can be amended later in order that its subject-matter no longer so extends, even at a time when the earlier application is no longer pending. Furthermore, the same limitations apply to these amendments as to amendments to any other (non-divisional) applications.