T 1977/22 (Open-ended ranges/RHODIA) of 13.11.2024
- European Case Law Identifier
- ECLI:EP:BA:2024:T197722.20241113
- Date of decision
- 13 November 2024
- Case number
- T 1977/22
- Petition for review of
- -
- Application number
- 14875698.4
- Language of proceedings
- English
- Distribution
- Distributed to board chairmen (C)
- Download
- Decision in English
- OJ versions
- No OJ links found
- Other decisions for this case
- -
- Abstracts for this decision
- Abstract on Article 083 EPC
- Application title
- INORGANIC COMPOSITE OXIDE MATERIAL, PREPARATION AND USE FOR EXHAUST GAS PURIFICATION CATALYSTS
- Applicant name
- RHODIA OPERATIONS
- Opponent name
- Neo Chemicals & Oxides (Europe) Ltd
- Board
- 3.3.06
- Headnote
- -
- Relevant legal provisions
- European Patent Convention Art 100(b)European Patent Convention Art 100(c)European Patent Convention Art 112European Patent Convention Art 123(2)European Patent Convention Art 83Rules of procedure of the Boards of Appeal 2020 Art 011
- Keywords
- Grounds for opposition - insufficiency of disclosure (no)
Grounds for opposition - added subject-matter (no)
Sufficiency of disclosure - enabling disclosure (yes)
Remittal - special reasons for remittal (yes)
Referral to the Enlarged Board of Appeal - (no) - Catchword
- Where a claimed invention includes an open-ended range physical parameter that could not be reproduced using common general knowledge, the range may be considered to meet the requirement of reproducibility over the whole scope when it can be (at least implicitly) derived from the teachings in the specification that by operating within the scope of certain essential structural and/or process features, the skilled person would be able to adjust the parameter to achieve different values within the open-ended range without undue effort, and the claimed subject-matter defines these essential features.
- Cited cases
- T 0226/85T 0292/85T 0129/88T 0487/89T 0409/91T 0435/91T 1008/02T 1018/05T 0624/08T 2213/08T 1697/12T 2344/12T 1943/15T 0113/19T 0398/19T 1942/21
- Citing cases
- T 1880/22
Order
For these reasons it is decided that:
1. The decision under appeal is set aside.
2. The case is remitted to the opposition division for further prosecution.