G 0002/97 (Good faith) of 12.11.1998

European Case Law Identifier: ECLI:EP:BA:1998:G000297.19981112
Date of decision: 12 November 1998
Case number: G 0002/97
Petition for review of: T 0742/96 1997-06-09
Application number: 89311690.5
IPC class: D06F 39/02
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: -
Abstracts for this decision: -
Application title: Method and device for treating textile
Applicant name: Unilever Plc, et al
Opponent name: Procter & Gamble European Technical Center N.V.
Board: -
Headnote: The principle of good faith does not impose any obligation on the boards of appeal to notify an appellant that an appeal fee is missing when the notice of appeal is filed so early that the appellant could react and pay the fee in time, if there is no indication--either in the notice of appeal or in any other document filed in relation to the appeal--from which it could be inferred that the appellant would, without such notification, inadvertently miss the time-limit for payment of the appeal fee.
Relevant legal provisions: European Patent Convention Art 108 1973 European Patent Convention Art 112(1)(a) 1973 European Patent Convention R 69(1) 1973
Keywords: Fee for appeal
Principle of good faith
Principle of the protection of legitimate expectations
Catchword: -
Cited cases: G 0005/88 G 0007/88 G 0008/88 J 0012/84 J 0002/87 J 0003/87 J 0001/89 J 0013/90 J 0015/92 J 0027/92 J 0041/92 J 0002/94 J 0012/94 T 0128/87 T 0014/89 T 0690/93 T 0861/94 T 0460/95 T 0161/96
Citing cases: R 0004/09 J 0010/99 J 0003/00 J 0016/00 J 0016/01 J 0005/02 J 0011/04 J 0003/05 J 0012/05 J 0013/05 J 0005/07 J 0010/07 J 0001/08 J 0002/08 J 0006/08 J 0014/08 J 0001/09 J 0009/10 J 0019/10 J 0023/10 J 0026/10 J 0013/11 J 0001/12 J 0013/16 J 0010/17 J 0001/19 J 0006/19 J 0010/20 J 0013/21 J 0004/23 J 0003/24 T 0742/96 T 0445/98 T 0881/98 T 0500/00 T 0778/00 T 0903/00 T 1029/00 T 0079/01 T 0343/02 T 0293/03 T 0781/04 T 0991/04 T 0308/05 T 0743/05 T 0335/06 T 0991/07 T 0267/08 T 0585/08 T 1607/08 T 1726/08 T 1764/08 T 0041/09 T 1266/09 T 1448/09 T 0028/10 T 1525/10 T 1644/10 T 2536/10 T 0377/11 T 0595/11 T 1037/11 T 0272/12 T 0423/12 T 0642/12 T 0861/12 T 1553/13 T 2092/13 T 2208/13 T 2246/13 T 0578/14 T 0736/14 T 1238/14 T 1325/15 T 2239/15 T 0174/16 T 0990/16 T 2707/16 T 2365/17 T 0353/18 T 2422/18 T 2620/18 T 3023/18 T 0703/19 T 1474/19 T 2575/19 T 0185/20 T 1271/20 T 1295/20 T 1573/20 T 1773/20 T 0071/21 T 0416/21 T 1588/22 T 1855/22 T 0083/23 T 0129/24 T 0493/24

ORDER

For these reasons it is decided that:

The question of law referred to the Enlarged Board of Appeal is answered as follows:

The principle of good faith does not impose any obligation on the boards of appeal to notify an appellant that an appeal fee is missing in the circumstances mentioned in the question referred, ie when the notice of appeal is filed so early that the appellant could react and pay the fee in time, if there is no indication--either in the notice of appeal or in any other document filed in relation to the appeal--from which it could be inferred that the appellant would, without such notification, inadvertently miss the time-limit for payment of the appeal fee.