European Patent Office

T 2044/09 (Fermentor/LARSEN) of 11.02.2014

European Case Law Identifier
ECLI:EP:BA:2014:T204409.20140211
Date of decision
11 February 2014
Case number
T 2044/09
Petition for review of
-
Application number
00929313.5
IPC class
C12M 1/36
Language of proceedings
English
Distribution
Distributed to board chairmen (C)
OJ versions
No OJ links found
Other decisions for this case
-
Abstracts for this decision
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Application title
U-SHAPE AND/OR NOZZLE-U-LOOP FERMENTOR AND METHOD OF CARRYING OUT A FERMENTATION PROCESS
Applicant name
Larsen, Ebbe Busch
Opponent name
NORFERM AS
Board
3.3.02
Headnote
-
Relevant legal provisions
European Patent Convention Art 56Rules of procedure of the Boards of Appeal Art 13(1)Rules of procedure of the Boards of Appeal Art 15(3)
Keywords
Oral proceedings - held in absence of appellant
Inventive step - non-functional modification
Late-filed auxiliary requests - admitted (no)
Catchword
Even if there is no pointer or suggestion in the prior art towards the addition of a distinguishing feature, if said modification is not linked to a particular functionality, then it cannot per se constitute the basis for acknowledging an inventive step.

Order

For these reasons it is decided that:

1. The decision under appeal is set aside.

2. The patent is revoked.