European Patent Office

R 0006/20 (Fundamental violation of the right to be heard) of 10.07.2023

European Case Law Identifier
ECLI:EP:BA:2023:R000620.20230710
Date of decision
10 July 2023
Case number
R 0006/20
Petition for review of
T 2227/15 2020-01-29
Application number
09251666.5
Language of proceedings
English
Distribution
Distributed to board chairmen (C)
OJ versions
No OJ links found
Other decisions for this case
R 0006/20 2023-07-09
Abstracts for this decision
Abstract on EPC2000 Art 112a(2)(c)
Application title
Blade assembly
Applicant name
Andis Company
Opponent name
Wahl GmbH
Board
-
Headnote
-
Relevant legal provisions
European Patent Convention Art 112a(2)(c)European Patent Convention Art 113(1)European Patent Convention Art 114(1)Rules of procedure of the Boards of Appeal Art 12(4)
Keywords
Compliance of Art. 12(4) RPBA 2007 with Art. 114(1) and 113(1) EPC (yes)
Petition allowable (no) no violation of petitioner's right to be heard
Catchword
1. The Enlarged Board of Appeal affirms its previous decisions R 8/15 and R 10/18.
2. Catchword 1, second paragraph, of R 10/18 reading: "Article 113(1) EPC is infringed if the board does not address submissions that, in its view, are relevant for the decision in a manner adequate to show that the parties were heard on them, i.e. that the board substantively considered those submissions..." is complemented as follows:
the requirement that "the Board substantively considered those submissions" should be given the meaning that "the Board considered the contents of those submissions", with this consideration comprising matters
- pertaining to admittance of facts, evidence and requests, and/or
- relating to substantive law, i.e. the merits of a case.
(See Reasons, point 2).
3. Article 12(4) RPBA 2007 is in line with Articles 114(1) and 113(1) EPC. (See Reasons, point 3.2.2(a) in fine.)

Order

For these reasons it is decided that:

The petition for review is unanimously rejected as being clearly unallowable.