T 1242/04 (Provision of product-specific data/MAN) of 20.10.2006

European Case Law Identifier

ECLI:EP:BA:2006:T124204.20061020

Date of decision

20 October 2006

Case number

T 1242/04

Petition for review of

Application number

02026715.9

IPC class

G06F 17/60

Language of proceedings

German

Distribution

Published in the EPO's Official Journal (A)

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Decision in German

OJ versions

Other decisions for this case

Abstracts for this decision

Application title

Verfahren und System zur Bereitstellung produktspezifischer Daten in einer Servicestation

Applicant name

MAN Nutzfahrzeuge Aktiengesellschaft

Opponent name

Board

3.5.01

Headnote

I. Rule 45 EPC relates only to the practicability of a search and not to the potential relevance of its results in subsequent substantive examination (Reasons 8.3).

II. Where the application's subject-matter has non-technical aspects, a declaration under Rule 45 EPC may be issued only in exceptional cases in which the claimed subject-matter, i.e. the entire set of claims including all independent and dependent claims, clearly has no technical character (Reasons 8.4).

Relevant legal provisions

European Patent Convention Art 111(1) 1973 European Patent Convention Art 112(1)(a) 1973 European Patent Convention Art 52(2) 1973 European Patent Convention Art 52(3) 1973 European Patent Convention Art 56 1973 European Patent Convention R 44(1) 1973 European Patent Convention R 45 1973 European Patent Convention R 86(4) 1973Guidelines_für die Prüfung im Europäischen PatentamtB-VIII, 3Mitteilung des Europäischen Patentamts vom 26. März 2002 über Geschäftsmethoden (ABl. EPA 2002, 260)

Keywords

Declaration under Rule 45 EPC
Additional search
Enlarged Board of Appeal - referral by board of appeal (no
Remittal (yes - on basis of "further" auxiliary request)

Catchword

Cited cases

T 0181/82 T 0271/85 T 0198/88 T 0390/90 T 0972/91 T 0939/92 T 0931/95 T 1194/97 T 0641/00 T 0258/03

Citing cases

T 1287/04 T 0688/05 T 0690/06 T 0811/06 T 1326/06 T 0290/07 T 1515/07 T 1806/07 T 1875/07 T 1924/07 T 0506/08 T 0711/08 T 0823/08 T 0946/08 T 1000/08 T 1261/08 T 1411/08 T 1707/08 T 0280/09 T 0281/09 T 2467/09 T 0313/10 T 2411/10 T 0359/11 T 0698/11 T 0779/11 T 2495/11 T 0283/12 T 0658/12 T 0964/12 T 1653/12 T 1981/12 T 2272/13 T 0918/14 T 0506/16 T 0605/16 T 0853/16 T 0697/17 T 1924/17 T 0590/18 T 0658/18 T 0844/18 T 0929/18 T 1287/18 T 2948/18 T 2360/19 T 2431/19 T 2516/19 T 2689/19 T 1273/20 T 1898/20 T 0415/21 T 2496/22 T 0976/23 T 0294/24

ORDER

For these reasons it is decided that:

1. The contested decision is set aside.

2. The case is remitted to the department of first instance for resumption of examination proceedings on the basis of the "further" auxiliary request filed with the statement of grounds of appeal.

3. The higher-ranking requests are refused.