J 0002/01 (Divisional application/THE TRUSTEED OF DARTMOUTH COLLEGE) of 04.02.2004
- European Case Law Identifier
- ECLI:EP:BA:2004:J000201.20040204
- Date of decision
- 4 February 2004
- Case number
- J 0002/01
- Petition for review of
- -
- Application number
- 99104102.1
- IPC class
- -
- Language of proceedings
- English
- Distribution
- Published in the EPO's Official Journal (A)
- Download
- Decision in English
- Other decisions for this case
- -
- Abstracts for this decision
- -
- Application title
- Treatment of T cell mediated autoimmune disorders
- Applicant name
- THE TRUSTEES OF DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
- Opponent name
- -
- Board
- 3.1.01
- Headnote
1. A consequence of the unity requirement in Article 118 EPC is that, when two or more persons file an application in common, they cannot acquire a procedural status different from that of a single applicant, because otherwise each of them could perform different and contradictory procedural acts, including the filing of different versions of the patent to be granted.
2. Therefore, where an application (the "earlier application") has been filed jointly by two or more applicants and the requirements of Article 61 or Rule 20(3) EPC have not been met, the right to file a divisional application in respect of the earlier application under Article 76 EPC is only available to the registered applicants for the earlier application jointly and not to one of them alone or to fewer than all of them.
- Relevant legal provisions
- §§_006, 007 PatGEuropean Patent Convention Art 112 1973European Patent Convention Art 116 1973European Patent Convention Art 118 1973European Patent Convention Art 58 1973European Patent Convention Art 59 1973European Patent Convention Art 60(1) 1973European Patent Convention Art 60(3) 1973European Patent Convention Art 61 1973European Patent Convention Art 68(1) 1973European Patent Convention Art 72 1973European Patent Convention Art 75 1973European Patent Convention Art 76 1973European Patent Convention Art 81 1973European Patent Convention R 100 1973European Patent Convention R 17(1) 1973European Patent Convention R 20 1973European Patent Convention R 25(1) 1973European Patent Convention R 48(2) 1973European Patent Convention R 72 1973European Patent Convention R 88 1973Paris Convention Art 4g, 19Section_015(4) KK Patent ActVienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (1969) Art 31,032
- Keywords
- Patent application in the name of more than one applicant - divisional application in the name of not all the applicants for parent application - no - unless Art. 61, Rule 20 EPC are met
- Catchword
- -
ORDER
For these reasons it is decided that:
The appeal is dismissed.