European Patent Office

T 0514/92 (Coated surgical staple) of 21.09.1995

European Case Law Identifier
ECLI:EP:BA:1995:T051492.19950921
Date of decision
21 September 1995
Case number
T 0514/92
Petition for review of
-
Application number
85305391.6
IPC class
A61B 17/08
Language of proceedings
English
Distribution
No distribution (D)
Download
-
Other decisions for this case
T 0514/92 1997-04-16
Abstracts for this decision
-
Application title
Coated surgical staple
Applicant name
ETHICON INC.
Opponent name
United States Surgical Corporation
Board
3.2.02
Headnote

The following question is referred to the Enlarged Board of Appeal:

"In the case where a patent has been opposed under Article 100(a) EPC, on the basis that the claims lack an inventive step in view of documents cited in the opposition statement, and the opponent introduces during appeal proceedings a new allegation that the claims lack novelty in view of one of the documents previously cited or in view of a document introduced during the appeal proceedings, must a board of appeal exclude the new allegation because it introduces a new ground of opposition?"

Keywords
New ground for opposition introduced during the appeal
Referral to the Enlarged Board of Appeal
Catchword
-
Citing cases
T 1007/95T 0131/01

ORDER

For these reasons it is decided that:

The following question of law is referred to the Enlarged Board of Appeal under Article 112(1)(a) EPC:

"In the case where a patent has been opposed under Article 100(a) EPC, on the basis that the claims lack an inventive step in view of documents cited in the opposition statement, and the opponent introduces during appeal proceedings a new allegation that the claims lack novelty in view of one of the documents previously cited or in view of a document introduced during the appeal proceedings, must a board of appeal exclude the new allegation because it introduces a new ground of opposition?"