G 0001/16 (Disclaimer III) of 18.12.2017

European Case Law Identifier

ECLI:EP:BA:2017:G000116.20171218

Date of decision

18 December 2017

Case number

G 0001/16

Petition for review of

T 0437/14 2016-10-17

Application number

08003327.7

IPC class

H05B 33/14 C09K 11/06 H01L 51/30

Language of proceedings

English

Distribution

Published in the EPO's Official Journal (A)

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Decision in English

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Other decisions for this case

Abstracts for this decision

Application title

Complexes of form L2IrX

Applicant name

The Trustees of Princeton University
The University of Southern California

Opponent name

Merck Patent GmbH
BASF SE

Board

Headnote

For the purpose of considering whether a claim amended by the introduction of an undisclosed disclaimer is allowable under Article 123(2) EPC, the disclaimer must fulfil one of the criteria set out in point 2.1 of the order of decision G 1/03.

The introduction of such a disclaimer may not provide a technical contribution to the subject-matter disclosed in the application as filed. In particular, it may not be or become relevant for the assessment of inventive step or for the question of sufficiency of disclosure. The disclaimer may not remove more than necessary either to restore novelty or to disclaim subject-matter excluded from patentability for non-technical reasons.

Relevant legal provisions

Bundesgericht: 4a 541 / 2013Bundesgerichtshof X ZR 75/08, X ZR 54/09, X ZR 161/12, X ZR 5/16, Xa ZB 14/09Bundespatentgericht: O2012 030Court of Appeal of England and Wales: LG Philips LCD Co Ltd v Tatung (UK) Ltd & Ors [2006] EWCA Civ 1774, Napp Pharmaceutical Holdings Ltd v Ratiopharm GmbH [2009] EWCA Civ 252, Sudarshan Chemical Industries Ltd v Clariant Produkte (Deutschland) GmbH [2013] EWCA Civ 919Decision of national courts citedEuropean Patent Convention Art 100(a)European Patent Convention Art 100(b)European Patent Convention Art 100(c)European Patent Convention Art 112(1)European Patent Convention Art 112(1)(a)European Patent Convention Art 123(1)European Patent Convention Art 123(2)European Patent Convention Art 52 European Patent Convention Art 52(4) 1973 European Patent Convention Art 53 European Patent Convention Art 53(c)European Patent Convention Art 54 European Patent Convention Art 54(2)European Patent Convention Art 54(3)European Patent Convention Art 54(3) 1973 European Patent Convention Art 54(4)European Patent Convention Art 54(4) 1973 European Patent Convention Art 56 European Patent Convention Art 57 European Patent Convention Art 69(1)European Patent Convention Art 84 European Patent Convention Art 87 European Patent Convention R 115(2)FranceGermanyPatents Court: Abbott Laboratories Ltd v Evysio Medical Devices ULC [2008] EWHC 800 (Pat), Ratiopharm GmbH v Napp Pharmaceutical Holdings Ltd [2008] EWHC 3070 (Pat), Nicocigs Ltd v Fontem Holdings 1 BV [2016] EWHC 2161 (Pat)Rechtbank Den Haag: IEPT20050715, ECLI:NL:RBSGR:2006:BA1058, IEPT20060808, BIE 2010 nr. 37, IER 2020 nr. 59, IEPT20120220, IEPT20130605Rechtbank Utrecht: IER 2013/9Rules of procedure of the Enlarged Board of Appeal Art 10Rules of procedure of the Enlarged Board of Appeal Art 13Rules of procedure of the Enlarged Board of Appeal Art 14(2)Rules of procedure of the Enlarged Board of Appeal Art 14(4)Rules of procedure of the Enlarged Board of Appeal Art 9SwitzerlandThe NetherlandsTribunal de Grande Instance de Paris: 09/56031, 09/12706, 10/05718, 14/15459United Kingdom

Keywords

Allowability of undisclosed disclaimers
Applicability of the gold standard disclosure test as defined in decision G 2/10 to undisclosed disclaimers no
Applicability of criteria as defined in decisions G 1/03 and G 2/03 yes
Drafting of undisclosed disclaimers no technical contribution to the claimed subject-matter of the application as filed may be provided

Catchword

Cited cases

G 0003/89 G 0011/91 G 0001/93 G 0002/98 G 0001/03 G 0002/03 G 0001/07 G 0002/10 G 0001/15 T 0004/80 T 0080/85 T 0313/86 T 0433/86 T 0155/87 T 0170/87 T 0296/87 T 0003/89 T 0012/90 T 0124/90 T 0172/90 T 0857/91 T 0434/92 T 0436/92 T 0597/92 T 0653/92 T 0710/92 T 0448/93 T 1050/93 T 0098/94 T 0426/94 T 0673/94 T 0917/94 T 0982/94 T 0645/95 T 0915/95 T 0596/96 T 0608/96 T 0863/96 T 0871/96 T 0893/96 T 0013/97 T 0308/97 T 0323/97 T 1071/97 T 1125/97 T 0318/98 T 0339/98 T 0351/98 T 0043/99 T 0201/99 T 0451/99 T 0507/99 T 0525/99 T 1049/99 T 1050/99 T 1086/99 T 0285/00 T 0500/00 T 0664/00 T 0747/00 T 1102/00 T 0010/01 T 0014/01 T 0134/01 T 0584/01 T 1146/01 T 0067/02 T 0161/02 T 0506/02 T 0217/03 T 0285/03 T 0788/05 T 1559/05 T 0286/06 T 1107/06 T 0008/07 T 1068/07 T 1695/07 T 0761/08 T 0923/08 T 1049/08 T 1870/08 T 2018/08 T 0477/09 T 0678/09 T 0748/09 T 1045/09 T 1176/09 T 1487/09 T 1843/09 T 2102/09 T 0447/10 T 1836/10 T 2464/10 T 0074/11 T 2130/11 T 0336/12 T 0632/12 T 1297/12 T 0850/13 T 1441/13 T 1808/13 T 2502/13 T 0075/14 T 0287/14 T 1224/14 T 1872/14

Citing cases

R 0004/23 R 0012/23 T 0767/12 T 1656/13 T 2030/13 T 0437/14 T 0660/14 T 1218/14 T 1662/14 T 2000/14 T 0944/15 T 1354/15 T 1525/15 T 0600/16 T 0712/16 T 2635/16 T 2643/16 T 0437/17 T 0951/17 T 1438/17 T 2381/17 T 0210/18 T 0311/18 T 1174/18 T 1272/18 T 1919/18 T 2242/18 T 2275/18 T 2277/18 T 2510/18 T 0247/19 T 0855/19 T 1283/19 T 1403/19 T 1473/19 T 1916/19 T 2116/19 T 2411/19 T 3077/19 T 0051/20 T 0110/20 T 0179/20 T 0279/20 T 0768/20 T 1052/20 T 1137/20 T 1688/20 T 2028/20 T 0088/21 T 0126/21 T 1047/21 T 1297/21 T 2047/21 T 2252/21 T 0267/22 T 0273/22 T 0518/22 T 0557/22 T 0903/22 T 1054/22 T 1416/22 T 0203/23 T 0211/23 T 0227/23 T 0441/23 T 0749/23 T 0863/23 T 1543/23 T 1552/23 T 1584/23 T 1733/23 T 1945/23 T 0180/24 T 0714/24

ORDER

For these reasons it is decided that:

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