European Patent Office

T 0867/92 (Late citation, risk of costs) of 13.04.1994

European Case Law Identifier
ECLI:EP:BA:1994:T086792.19940413
Date of decision
13 April 1994
Case number
T 0867/92
Petition for review of
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Application number
85304218.2
IPC class
G11B 5/72
Language of proceedings
English
Distribution
Published in the EPO's Official Journal (A)
Other decisions for this case
-
Abstracts for this decision
-
Application title
Magnetic recording medium
Applicant name
Konica Corporation
Opponent name
N.V. Philips
Agfa
Fuji
Board
3.5.02
Headnote

The EPC does not impose a time limit for citing new prior art in response to an amendment of the claims. However, an opponent who cites new prior art with a considerable delay (in the present case some 18 months after the claims had been amended) with no special reason justifying the delay, runs the risk of having to bear some or all of the proprietor's costs incurred in attending oral proceedings which cannot bring the case to an end because of the new citation.

Keywords
New prior art cited with considerable delay after claims had been amended - considered relevant
Oral proceedings could not bring case to an end because of late citation
Remittal of case to Opposition Division
Apportionment of costs
Catchword
-
Cited cases
-
Citing cases
T 1019/93

ORDER

For these reasons, it is decided that:

1. The decision of the Opposition Division is set aside.

2. The case is remitted to the Opposition Division for further prosecution.

3. The Appellant shall bear 50% of the costs of the Respondent's representative incurred in attending the oral proceedings held before the Board on 13 April 1994.