European Patent Office

T 0694/01 (Test device/UNILEVER) of 04.07.2002

European Case Law Identifier
ECLI:EP:BA:2002:T069401.20020704
Date of decision
4 July 2002
Case number
T 0694/01
Petition for review of
-
Application number
88303744.2
IPC class
G01N 33/543
Language of proceedings
English
Distribution
Published in the EPO's Official Journal (A)
Other decisions for this case
-
Abstracts for this decision
-
Application title
Immunoassays and devices therefor
Applicant name
UNILEVER N. V.
Opponent name
(01) VEDALAB
(02) Carter-Wallace Inc.
(03) GENZYME CORPORATION
(04) Andrea von Preen
(05) Int. Mycoplasma
(06) Technical Chemicals & Products Inc.
(08) ORAMON Arzneimittel GmbH
(09) Pharma Peter
(10) ulti med Products (Deutschland)
(11) Cardimac Gesellschaft für Diagnostische Schnellteste mbH
Board
3.3.04
Headnote

An intervention is dependent on the extent to which opposition/appeal proceedings are still pending.

Where a board has decided that a patent is to be maintained on the basis of a given set of claims and a description to be adapted thereto, a party intervening during subsequent appeal proceedings confined to the issue of the adaptation of the description cannot challenge the res judicata effect of the previous board of appeal decision regardless of whether a new ground for opposition is introduced.

Keywords
Intervention during pending appeal proceedings - admissibility (yes)
New ground for opposition - void -
Scope of appeal limited to adaptation of description
Claims - res judicata
Catchword
-

ORDER

For these reasons it is decided that:

1. The requests for referral of questions of law to the Enlarged Board of Appeal are refused.

2. The appeals and the intervention are dismissed.