European Patent Office

T 0388/04 (Undeliverable mail/PITNEY BOWES) of 22.03.2006

European Case Law Identifier
ECLI:EP:BA:2006:T038804.20060322
Date of decision
22 March 2006
Case number
T 0388/04
Petition for review of
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Application number
99126154.6
IPC class
G07B 17/00
Language of proceedings
English
Distribution
Published in the EPO's Official Journal (A)
Other decisions for this case
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Abstracts for this decision
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Application title
A method for responding to mail returned to a sender as undeliverable
Applicant name
Pitney Bowes Inc.
Opponent name
-
Board
3.5.02
Headnote

1. The extent to which subject-matter or activities are excluded from patentability under Article 52(2) and (3) EPC is notionally distinct from, and may be considered independently of, the question of inventive step.

2. Subject-matter or activities that are excluded from patentability under Article 52(2) and (3) EPC remain so even where they imply the possibility of making use of unspecified technical means.

3. Subject-matter or activities may be excluded from patentability under Article 52(2) and (3) EPC even where they have practical utility.

Keywords
Patentable inventions - business, extent of exclusion
Catchword
-
Cited cases
T 0258/03

ORDER

For these reasons it is decided that:

The appeal is dismissed.