T 0154/04 (Estimating sales activity/DUNS LICENSING ASSOCIATES) of 15.11.2006

European Case Law Identifier

ECLI:EP:BA:2006:T015404.20061115

Date of decision

15 November 2006

Case number

T 0154/04

Petition for review of

Application number

94912949.8

IPC class

G06F 15/21

Language of proceedings

English

Distribution

Published in the EPO's Official Journal (A)

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Decision in English

OJ versions

Other decisions for this case

Abstracts for this decision

Application title

Method of estimating product distribution

Applicant name

DUNS LICENSING ASSOCIATES, L.P.

Opponent name

Board

3.5.01

Headnote

I. Methods of business research are excluded "as such" from patentability under Article 52(2)(c) and (3) EPC.

II. Gathering and evaluating data as part of a business research method do not convey technical character to the business research method if such steps do not contribute to the technical solution of a technical problem.

Relevant legal provisions

European Patent Convention Art 112(1)(a) 1973 European Patent Convention Art 112(1)(b) 1973 European Patent Convention Art 123(2) 1973 European Patent Convention Art 52(1)European Patent Convention Art 52(1) 1973 European Patent Convention Art 52(2) 1973 European Patent Convention Art 52(3) 1973 European Patent Convention Art 54 1973 European Patent Convention Art 56 1973Judgement of the England and Wales Court of Appeal in re Aerotel Ltd v Telco Holdings Ltd (and others) and Macrossan´s Patent Application [2006] EWCA Civ 1371Judgement of the England and Wales Court of Appeal in re Genentech Inc.'s Patent [1989] R.P.C. 147Judgement of the German Federal Court of Justice X ZB 20/03 - elektronischer Zahlungsverkehr of 24 May 2004Judgement of the England and Wales Court of Appeal in re Aerotel Ltd v Telco Holdings Ltd (and others) and Macrossan´s Patent Application [2006] EWCA Civ 1371Rules of procedure of the Boards of Appeal Art 15Rules of procedure of the Boards of Appeal Art 16Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (1969) Art 31

Keywords

Requirement of invention - method, main request (no
Requirement of invention - method, auxiliary request 1 (yes
Inventive step - system, main and auxiliary requests 1 to 3 (no
Amendments - claim 1, auxiliary requests 4 and 5 (inadmissible
Remittal for further prosecution (refused
Referral to the Enlarged Board of Appeal (refused)

Catchword

Cited cases

G 0005/83 G 0002/88 G 0001/95 G 0001/98 G 0003/98 G 0001/03 G 0001/04 T 0208/84 T 0022/85 T 0769/92 T 1002/92 T 0212/94 T 0953/94 T 0931/95 T 1173/97 T 0641/00 T 0619/02 T 0764/02 T 0172/03 T 0258/03 T 0531/03 T 0930/05

Citing cases

G 0003/08 G 0002/12 G 0002/13 G 0001/19 R 0013/22 T 0306/04 T 0365/05 T 0368/05 T 0688/05 T 1505/05 T 1567/05 T 0116/06 T 0390/06 T 0696/06 T 0784/06 T 1027/06 T 1029/06 T 1073/06 T 1143/06 T 1543/06 T 1784/06 T 0354/07 T 0823/07 T 1575/07 T 0477/08 T 1869/08 T 2217/08 T 1214/09 T 1265/09 T 1344/09 T 1358/09 T 1782/09 T 2063/09 T 1145/10 T 1211/10 T 1237/10 T 1623/10 T 1769/10 T 2230/10 T 2383/10 T 0617/11 T 0625/11 T 0631/11 T 0779/11 T 1393/11 T 2035/11 T 0464/12 T 0912/12 T 1461/12 T 1722/12 T 1793/12 T 1952/12 T 2101/12 T 2372/12 T 2418/12 T 2469/12 T 0268/13 T 0548/13 T 1185/13 T 2191/13 T 2276/13 T 2330/13 T 2455/13 T 0336/14 T 0489/14 T 0552/14 T 0598/14 T 0995/14 T 1140/14 T 1779/14 T 1396/15 T 0670/16 T 0688/16 T 0818/16 T 1455/16 T 1750/16 T 2147/16 T 2314/16 T 2573/16 T 0123/17 T 0371/17 T 0697/17 T 0731/17 T 0977/17 T 1089/17 T 1924/17 T 2010/17 T 2386/17 T 0417/18 T 0504/18 T 0543/18 T 1148/18 T 1632/18 T 1639/18 T 2263/18 T 2366/18 T 2626/18 T 0136/19 T 0698/19 T 1635/19 T 2825/19 T 2853/19 T 3226/19 T 0702/20 T 0801/20 T 1272/20 T 1768/20 T 1806/20 T 0323/21 T 0415/21 T 0526/21 T 0558/21 T 1057/21 T 0447/22 T 0780/22 T 1596/22 T 1717/22 T 2319/22 T 0891/23 T 1309/23 T 0409/24

ORDER

For these reasons it is decided that:

The appeal is dismissed.