European Patent Office

G 0002/19 (Right to be heard and correct venue for oral proceedings) of 16.07.2019

European Case Law Identifier
ECLI:EP:BA:2019:G000219.20190716
Date of decision
16 July 2019
Case number
G 0002/19
Petition for review of
T 0831/17 2019-02-25
Application number
10182497.7
Language of proceedings
German
Distribution
Published in the EPO's Official Journal (A)
Other decisions for this case
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Abstracts for this decision
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Application title
Verfahren zum Betreiben eines Mobilfunknetzes
Applicant name
IPCom GmbH & Co. KG
Opponent name
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Board
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Headnote
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Keywords
Right of a third party within the meaning of Article 115 EPC to oral proceedings on appeal against a lack of clarity in granted patent claims – no
Examination by the Enlarged Board of Appeal of the grounds for admissibility of a referral under Article 112(1)(a) EPC
Suspensive effect of an appeal filed by a third party within the meaning of Article 115 EPC against a lack of clarity in granted patent claims – no
A means of redress is clearly inadmissible where a person without standing to file an appeal (here: a third party within the meaning of Article 115 EPC) relies on a grievance not recognised under the EPC (here: a lack of clarity to be removed from the patent claims for the purposes of Article 84 EPC)
Oral proceedings before the boards of appeal in Haar – permissible
Catchword
1. A third party within the meaning of Article 115 EPC who has filed an appeal against a decision to grant a European patent has no right to have its request for an order that examination proceedings in respect of the European patent be reopened for the purpose of removing allegedly unclear claims (Article 84 EPC) heard at oral proceedings before a board of appeal of the European Patent Office. An appeal filed in such a way has no suspensive effect.
2. Oral proceedings before the boards of appeal at their site in Haar do not infringe Articles 113(1) and 116(1) EPC.

Order

For these reasons it is decided that:

1. A third party within the meaning of Article 115 EPC who has filed an appeal against a decision to grant a European patent has no right to have its request for an order that examination proceedings in respect of the European patent be reopened for the purpose of removing allegedly unclear claims (Article 84 EPC) heard at oral proceedings before a board of appeal of the European Patent Office.

An appeal filed in such a way has no suspensive effect.

2. Oral proceedings before the boards of appeal at their site in Haar do not infringe Articles 113(1) and 116(1) EPC