European Patent Office

G 0001/97 (Request with a view to revision) of 10.12.1999

European Case Law Identifier
ECLI:EP:BA:1999:G000197.19991210
Date of decision
10 December 1999
Case number
G 0001/97
Petition for review of
J 0003/95 1997-02-28
Application number
83810210.1
IPC class
G04B 37/16
Language of proceedings
French
Distribution
Published in the EPO's Official Journal (A)
Other decisions for this case
-
Abstracts for this decision
-
Application title
Montre-bracelet dont le bracelet est attaché au boîtier de la montre par une charnière
Applicant name
ETA S.A. Fabriques d'Ebauches
Opponent name
Piranha Marketing GmbH
Junghans Uhren GmbH
Board
-
Headnote

I. In the context of the European Patent Convention, the jurisdictional measure to be taken in response to requests based on the alleged violation of a fundamental procedural principle and aimed at the revision of a final decision of a board of appeal having the force of res judicata should be the refusal of the requests as inadmissible.

II. The decision on inadmissibility is to be issued by the board of appeal which took the decision forming the subject of the request for revision. The decision may be issued immediately and without further procedural formalities.

III. This jurisdictional measure applies only to requests directed against a decision of a board of appeal bearing a date after that of the present decision.

IV. If the Legal Division of the EPO is asked to decide on the entry in the Register of European Patents of a request directed against a decision of a board of appeal, it must refrain from ordering that the entry be made if the request, in whatever form, is based on the alleged violation of a fundamental procedural principle and aimed at the revision of a final decision of a board of appeal.

Keywords
Administrative or jurisdictional measures to be taken in response to requests based on the alleged violation of a fundamental procedural principle and aimed at the revision of a final decision taken by a board of appeal having the force of res judicata
Entry in the Register of European Patents
Catchword
-

ORDER

For these reasons it is decided that:

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

1. In the context of the European Patent Convention, the jurisdictional measure to be taken in response to requests based on the alleged violation of a fundamental procedural principle and aimed at the revision of a final decision taken by a board of appeal having the force of res judicata should be the refusal of the requests as inadmissible.

2. The decision on inadmissibility is to be issued by the board of appeal which took the decision forming the subject of the request for revision. The decision may be issued immediately and without further procedural formalities.

3. This jurisdictional measure applies only to requests directed against a decision of a board of appeal bearing a date after that of the present decision.

4. If the Legal Division of the EPO is asked to decide on the entry in the Register of European Patents of a request directed against a decision of a board of appeal, it must refrain from ordering that the entry be made if the request, in whatever form, is based on the alleged violation of a fundamental procedural principle and aimed at the revision of a final decision of a board of appeal.