T 0531/03 (Discount certificates/CATALINA) of 17.03.2005
- European Case Law Identifier
- ECLI:EP:BA:2005:T053103.20050317
- Date of decision
- 17 March 2005
- Case number
- T 0531/03
- Petition for review of
- -
- Application number
- 92102006.1
- IPC class
- G07G 5/00
- Language of proceedings
- English
- Distribution
- Distributed to board chairmen and members (B)
- Download
- Decision in English
- OJ versions
- No OJ links found
- Other decisions for this case
- -
- Abstracts for this decision
- -
- Application title
- Method and apparatus for generating cumulative discount certificates
- Applicant name
- Catalina Marketing International, Inc.
- Opponent name
- INFOMIL
TESCO STORES LIMITED - Board
- 3.4.03
- Headnote
- -
- Relevant legal provisions
- European Patent Convention Art 52(1) 1973European Patent Convention Art 52(2)(c) 1973European Patent Convention Art 56 1973
- Keywords
- Inventive step (no): Treatment of non-technical aspects in the assessment of inventive step (confirming T 0641/00)
- Catchword
- 1. In the assessment of inventive step, features relating to a non-invention within the meaning of Article 52(2) EPC (so-called "non-technical features") cannot support the presence of inventive step (reasons, 2.5 and 2.6).
2. An attempt to take into account the contribution of non-technical and technical aspects on an equal footing in the assessment of inventive step would not be in conformity with the EPC, since the presence of inventive step would in such an approach be attributed to features which are defined in the EPC as not being an invention (reasons, 2.6).
ORDER
For these reasons it is decided that:
The appeal is dismissed.