Skip to main content Skip to footer
HomeHome
 
  • Homepage
  • Searching for patents

    Patent knowledge

    Access our patent databases and search tools.

    Go to overview 

    • Overview
    • Technical information
      • Overview
      • Espacenet - patent search
      • European Publication Server
      • EP full-text search
    • Legal information
      • Overview
      • European Patent Register
      • European Patent Bulletin
      • European Case Law Identifier sitemap
      • Third-party observations
    • Business information
      • Overview
      • PATSTAT
      • IPscore
      • Technology insight reports
    • Data
      • Overview
      • Technology Intelligence Platform
      • Linked open EP data
      • Bulk data sets
      • Web services
      • Coverage, codes and statistics
    • Technology platforms
      • Overview
      • Plastics in transition
      • Water innovation
      • Space innovation
      • Technologies combatting cancer
      • Firefighting technologies
      • Clean energy technologies
      • Fighting coronavirus
    • Helpful resources
      • Overview
      • First time here?
      • Asian patent information
      • Patent information centres
      • Patent Translate
      • Patent Knowledge News
      • Business and statistics
      • Unitary Patent information in patent knowledge
    Image
    EPO TIR study-PV-web-720 x 237

    Technology insight report on advances in photovoltaics

  • Applying for a patent

    Applying for a patent

    Practical information on filing and grant procedures.

    Go to overview 

    • Overview
    • European route
      • Overview
      • European Patent Guide
      • Oppositions
      • Oral proceedings
      • Appeals
      • Unitary Patent & Unified Patent Court
      • National validation
      • Request for extension/validation
    • International route (PCT)
      • Overview
      • Euro-PCT Guide – PCT procedure at the EPO
      • EPO decisions and notices
      • PCT provisions and resources
      • Extension/validation request
      • Reinforced partnership programme
      • Accelerating your PCT application
      • Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH)
      • Training and events
    • National route
    • Find a professional representative
    • MyEPO services
      • Overview
      • Understand our services
      • Get access
      • File with us
      • Interact with us on your files
      • Online Filing & fee payment outages
    • Forms
      • Overview
      • Request for examination
    • Fees
      • Overview
      • European fees (EPC)
      • International fees (PCT)
      • Unitary Patent fees (UP)
      • Fee payment and refunds
      • Warning

    UP

    Find out how the Unitary Patent can enhance your IP strategy

  • Law & practice

    Law & practice

    European patent law, the Official Journal and other legal texts.

    Go to overview 

    • Overview
    • Legal texts
      • Overview
      • European Patent Convention
      • Official Journal
      • Guidelines
      • Extension / validation system
      • London Agreement
      • National law relating to the EPC
      • Unitary patent system
      • National measures relating to the Unitary Patent
    • Court practices
      • Overview
      • European Patent Judges' Symposium
    • User consultations
      • Overview
      • Ongoing consultations
      • Completed consultations
    • Substantive patent law harmonisation
      • Overview
      • The Tegernsee process
      • Group B+
    • Convergence of practice
    • Options for professional representatives
    Image
    Law and practice scales 720x237

    Keep up with key aspects of selected BoA decisions with our monthly "Abstracts of decisions”

  • News & events

    News & events

    Our latest news, podcasts and events, including the European Inventor Award.

    Go to overview 

     

    • Overview
    • News
    • Events
    • European Inventor Award
      • Overview
      • About the award
      • Categories and prizes
      • Meet the finalists
      • Nominations
      • European Inventor Network
      • The 2024 event
    • Young Inventors Prize
      • Overview
      • About the prize
      • Nominations
      • The jury
      • The world, reimagined
      • The 2025 event
    • Press centre
      • Overview
      • Patent Index and statistics
      • Search in press centre
      • Background information
      • Copyright
      • Press contacts
      • Call back form
      • Email alert service
    • Innovation and patenting in focus
      • Overview
      • Water-related technologies
      • CodeFest
      • Green tech in focus
      • Research institutes
      • Women inventors
      • Lifestyle
      • Space and satellites
      • The future of medicine
      • Materials science
      • Mobile communications
      • Biotechnology
      • Patent classification
      • Digital technologies
      • The future of manufacturing
      • Books by EPO experts
    • "Talk innovation" podcast

    Podcast

    From ideas to inventions: tune into our podcast for the latest in tech and IP

  • Learning

    Learning

    The European Patent Academy – the point of access to your learning

    Go to overview 

    • Overview
    • Learning activities and paths
      • Overview
      • Learning activities
      • Learning paths
    • EQE and EPAC
      • Overview
      • EQE - European qualifying examination
      • EPAC - European patent administration certification
      • CSP – Candidate Support Programme
    • Learning resources by area of interest
      • Overview
      • Patent granting
      • Technology transfer and dissemination
      • Patent enforcement and litigation
    • Learning resources by profile
      • Overview
      • Business and IP managers
      • EQE and EPAC Candidates
      • Judges, lawyers and prosecutors
      • National offices and IP authorities
      • Patent attorneys and paralegals
      • Universities, research centres and technology transfer centres (TTOs)
    Image
    Patent Academy catalogue

    Have a look at the extensive range of learning opportunities in the European Patent Academy training catalogue

  • About us

    About us

    Find out more about our work, values, history and vision

    Go to overview 

    • Overview
    • The EPO at a glance
    • 50 years of the EPC
      • Overview
      • Official celebrations
      • Member states’ video statements
      • 50 Leading Tech Voices
      • Athens Marathon
      • Kids’ collaborative art competition
    • Legal foundations and member states
      • Overview
      • Legal foundations
      • Member states of the European Patent Organisation
      • Extension states
      • Validation states
    • Administrative Council and subsidiary bodies
      • Overview
      • Communiqués
      • Calendar
      • Documents and publications
      • Administrative Council
    • Principles & strategy
      • Overview
      • Our mission, vision, values and corporate policy
      • Strategic Plan 2028
      • Towards a New Normal
    • Leadership & management
      • Overview
      • President António Campinos
      • Management Advisory Committee
    • Sustainability at the EPO
      • Overview
      • Environmental
      • Social
      • Governance and Financial sustainability
    • Services & activities
      • Overview
      • Our services & structure
      • Quality
      • Consulting our users
      • European and international co-operation
      • European Patent Academy
      • Chief Economist
      • Ombuds Office
      • Reporting wrongdoing
    • Observatory on Patents and Technology
      • Overview
      • Technologies
      • Innovation actors
      • Policy and funding
      • Tools
      • About the Observatory
    • Procurement
      • Overview
      • Procurement forecast
      • Doing business with the EPO
      • Procurement procedures
      • Sustainable Procurement Policy
      • About eTendering and electronic signatures
      • Procurement portal
      • Invoicing
      • General conditions
      • Archived tenders
    • Transparency portal
      • Overview
      • General
      • Human
      • Environmental
      • Organisational
      • Social and relational
      • Economic
      • Governance
    • Statistics and trends
      • Overview
      • Statistics & Trends Centre
      • Patent Index 2024
      • EPO Data Hub
      • Clarification on data sources
    • History
      • Overview
      • 1970s
      • 1980s
      • 1990s
      • 2000s
      • 2010s
      • 2020s
    • Art collection
      • Overview
      • The collection
      • Let's talk about art
      • Artists
      • Media library
      • What's on
      • Publications
      • Contact
      • Culture Space A&T 5-10
      • "Long Night"
    Image
    Patent Index 2024 keyvisual showing brightly lit up data chip, tinted in purple, bright blue

    Track the latest tech trends with our Patent Index

 
en de fr
  • Language selection
  • English
  • Deutsch
  • Français
Main navigation
  • Homepage
    • Go back
    • New to patents
  • New to patents
    • Go back
    • Your business and patents
    • Why do we have patents?
    • What's your big idea?
    • Are you ready?
    • What to expect
    • How to apply for a patent
    • Is it patentable?
    • Are you first?
    • Patent quiz
    • Unitary patent video
  • Searching for patents
    • Go back
    • Overview
    • Technical information
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Espacenet - patent search
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • National patent office databases
        • Global Patent Index (GPI)
        • Release notes
      • European Publication Server
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Release notes
        • Cross-reference index for Euro-PCT applications
        • EP authority file
        • Help
      • EP full-text search
    • Legal information
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • European Patent Register
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Release notes archive
        • Register documentation
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Deep link data coverage
          • Federated Register
          • Register events
      • European Patent Bulletin
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Download Bulletin
        • EP Bulletin search
        • Help
      • European Case Law Identifier sitemap
      • Third-party observations
    • Business information
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • PATSTAT
      • IPscore
        • Go back
        • Release notes
      • Technology insight reports
    • Data
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Technology Intelligence Platform
      • Linked open EP data
      • Bulk data sets
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Manuals
        • Sequence listings
        • National full-text data
        • European Patent Register data
        • EPO worldwide bibliographic data (DOCDB)
        • EP full-text data
        • EPO worldwide legal event data (INPADOC)
        • EP bibliographic data (EBD)
        • Boards of Appeal decisions
      • Web services
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Open Patent Services (OPS)
        • European Publication Server web service
      • Coverage, codes and statistics
        • Go back
        • Weekly updates
        • Updated regularly
    • Technology platforms
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Plastics in transition
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Plastics waste recovery
        • Plastics waste recycling
        • Alternative plastics
      • Innovation in water technologies
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Clean water
        • Protection from water
      • Space innovation
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Cosmonautics
        • Space observation
      • Technologies combatting cancer
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Prevention and early detection
        • Diagnostics
        • Therapies
        • Wellbeing and aftercare
      • Firefighting technologies
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Detection and prevention of fires
        • Fire extinguishing
        • Protective equipment
        • Post-fire restoration
      • Clean energy technologies
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Renewable energy
        • Carbon-intensive industries
        • Energy storage and other enabling technologies
      • Fighting coronavirus
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Vaccines and therapeutics
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Vaccines
          • Overview of candidate therapies for COVID-19
          • Candidate antiviral and symptomatic therapeutics
          • Nucleic acids and antibodies to fight coronavirus
        • Diagnostics and analytics
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Protein and nucleic acid assays
          • Analytical protocols
        • Informatics
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Bioinformatics
          • Healthcare informatics
        • Technologies for the new normal
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Devices, materials and equipment
          • Procedures, actions and activities
          • Digital technologies
        • Inventors against coronavirus
    • Helpful resources
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • First time here?
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Basic definitions
        • Patent classification
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC)
        • Patent families
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • DOCDB simple patent family
          • INPADOC extended patent family
        • Legal event data
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • INPADOC classification scheme
      • Asian patent information
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • China (CN)
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Facts and figures
          • Grant procedure
          • Numbering system
          • Useful terms
          • Searching in databases
        • Chinese Taipei (TW)
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Grant procedure
          • Numbering system
          • Useful terms
          • Searching in databases
        • India (IN)
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Facts and figures
          • Grant procedure
          • Numbering system
        • Japan (JP)
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Facts and figures
          • Grant procedure
          • Numbering system
          • Useful terms
          • Searching in databases
        • Korea (KR)
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Facts and figures
          • Grant procedure
          • Numbering system
          • Useful terms
          • Searching in databases
        • Russian Federation (RU)
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Facts and figures
          • Numbering system
          • Searching in databases
        • Useful links
      • Patent information centres (PATLIB)
      • Patent Translate
      • Patent Knowledge News
      • Business and statistics
      • Unitary Patent information in patent knowledge
  • Applying for a patent
    • Go back
    • Overview
    • European route
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • European Patent Guide
      • Oppositions
      • Oral proceedings
        • Go back
        • Oral proceedings calendar
          • Go back
          • Calendar
          • Public access to appeal proceedings
          • Public access to opposition proceedings
          • Technical guidelines
      • Appeals
      • Unitary Patent & Unified Patent Court
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Unitary Patent
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Legal framework
          • Main features
          • Applying for a Unitary Patent
          • Cost of a Unitary Patent
          • Translation and compensation
          • Start date
          • Introductory brochures
        • Unified Patent Court
      • National validation
      • Extension/validation request
    • International route
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Euro-PCT Guide
      • Entry into the European phase
      • Decisions and notices
      • PCT provisions and resources
      • Extension/validation request
      • Reinforced partnership programme
      • Accelerating your PCT application
      • Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH)
        • Go back
        • Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) programme outline
      • Training and events
    • National route
    • MyEPO services
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Understand our services
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Exchange data with us using an API
          • Go back
          • Release notes
      • Get access
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Release notes
      • File with us
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • What if our online filing services are down?
        • Release notes
      • Interact with us on your files
        • Go back
        • Release notes
      • Online Filing & fee payment outages
    • Fees
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • European fees (EPC)
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Decisions and notices
      • International fees (PCT)
        • Go back
        • Reduction in fees
        • Fees for international applications
        • Decisions and notices
        • Overview
      • Unitary Patent fees (UP)
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Decisions and notices
      • Fee payment and refunds
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Payment methods
        • Getting started
        • FAQs and other documentation
        • Technical information for batch payments
        • Decisions and notices
        • Release notes
      • Warning
    • Forms
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Request for examination
    • Find a professional representative
  • Law & practice
    • Go back
    • Overview
    • Legal texts
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • European Patent Convention
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Archive
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Documentation on the EPC revision 2000
            • Go back
            • Overview
            • Diplomatic Conference for the revision of the EPC
            • Travaux préparatoires
            • New text
            • Transitional provisions
            • Implementing regulations to the EPC 2000
            • Rules relating to Fees
            • Ratifications and accessions
          • Travaux Préparatoires EPC 1973
      • Official Journal
      • Guidelines
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • EPC Guidelines
        • PCT-EPO Guidelines
        • Unitary Patent Guidelines
        • Guidelines revision cycle
        • Consultation results
        • Summary of user responses
        • Archive
      • Extension / validation system
      • London Agreement
      • National law relating to the EPC
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Archive
      • Unitary Patent system
        • Go back
        • Travaux préparatoires to UP and UPC
      • National measures relating to the Unitary Patent 
    • Court practices
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • European Patent Judges' Symposium
    • User consultations
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Ongoing consultations
      • Completed consultations
    • Substantive patent law harmonisation
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • The Tegernsee process
      • Group B+
    • Convergence of practice
    • Options for professional representatives
  • News & events
    • Go back
    • Overview
    • News
    • Events
    • European Inventor Award
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • About the award
      • Categories and prizes
      • Meet the inventors
      • Nominations
      • European Inventor Network
        • Go back
        • 2024 activities
        • 2025 activities
        • Rules and criteria
        • FAQ
      • The 2024 event
    • Young Inventors Prize
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • About the prize
      • Nominations
      • The jury
      • The world, reimagined
      • The 2025 event
    • Press centre
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Patent Index and statistics
      • Search in press centre
      • Background information
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • European Patent Office
        • Q&A on patents related to coronavirus
        • Q&A on plant patents
      • Copyright
      • Press contacts
      • Call back form
      • Email alert service
    • In focus
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Water-related technologies
      • CodeFest
        • Go back
        • CodeFest Spring 2025 on classifying patent data for sustainable development
        • Overview
        • CodeFest 2024 on generative AI
        • CodeFest 2023 on Green Plastics
      • Green tech in focus
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • About green tech
        • Renewable energies
        • Energy transition technologies
        • Building a greener future
      • Research institutes
      • Women inventors
      • Lifestyle
      • Space and satellites
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Patents and space technologies
      • Healthcare
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Medical technologies and cancer
        • Personalised medicine
      • Materials science
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Nanotechnology
      • Mobile communications
      • Biotechnology
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Red, white or green
        • The role of the EPO
        • What is patentable?
        • Biotech inventors
      • Classification
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Nanotechnology
        • Climate change mitigation technologies
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • External partners
          • Updates on Y02 and Y04S
      • Digital technologies
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • About ICT
        • Hardware and software
        • Artificial intelligence
        • Fourth Industrial Revolution
      • Additive manufacturing
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • About AM
        • AM innovation
      • Books by EPO experts
    • Podcast
  • Learning
    • Go back
    • Overview
    • Learning activities and paths
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Learning activities: types and formats
      • Learning paths
    • EQE and EPAC
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • EQE - European Qualifying Examination
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Compendium
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Paper F
          • Paper A
          • Paper B
          • Paper C
          • Paper D
          • Pre-examination
        • Candidates successful in the European qualifying examination
        • Archive
      • EPAC - European patent administration certification
      • CSP – Candidate Support Programme
    • Learning resources by area of interest
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Patent granting
      • Technology transfer and dissemination
      • Patent enforcement and litigation
    • Learning resources by profile
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Business and IP managers
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Innovation case studies
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • SME case studies
          • Technology transfer case studies
          • High-growth technology case studies
        • Inventor's handbook
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Introduction
          • Disclosure and confidentiality
          • Novelty and prior art
          • Competition and market potential
          • Assessing the risk ahead
          • Proving the invention
          • Protecting your idea
          • Building a team and seeking funding
          • Business planning
          • Finding and approaching companies
          • Dealing with companies
        • Best of search matters
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Tools and databases
          • EPO procedures and initiatives
          • Search strategies
          • Challenges and specific topics
        • Support for high-growth technology businesses
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Business decision-makers
          • IP professionals
          • Stakeholders of the Innovation Ecosystem
      • EQE and EPAC Candidates
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Paper F brain-teasers
        • Daily D questions
        • European qualifying examination - Guide for preparation
        • EPAC
      • Judges, lawyers and prosecutors
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Compulsory licensing in Europe
        • The jurisdiction of European courts in patent disputes
      • National offices and IP authorities
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Learning material for examiners of national officers
        • Learning material for formalities officers and paralegals
      • Patent attorneys and paralegals
      • Universities, research centres and TTOs
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Modular IP Education Framework (MIPEF)
        • Pan-European Seal Young Professionals Programme
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • For students
          • For universities
            • Go back
            • Overview
            • IP education resources
            • University memberships
          • Our young professionals
          • Professional development plan
        • Academic Research Programme
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Completed research projects
          • Current research projects
        • IP Teaching Kit
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Download modules
        • Intellectual property course design manual
        • PATLIB Knowledge Transfer to Africa
          • Go back
          • Core activities
          • Stories and insights
  • About us
    • Go back
    • Overview
    • The EPO at a glance
    • 50 years of the EPC
      • Go back
      • Official celebrations
      • Overview
      • Member states’ video statements
        • Go back
        • Albania
        • Austria
        • Belgium
        • Bulgaria
        • Croatia
        • Cyprus
        • Czech Republic
        • Denmark
        • Estonia
        • Finland
        • France
        • Germany
        • Greece
        • Hungary
        • Iceland
        • Ireland
        • Italy
        • Latvia
        • Liechtenstein
        • Lithuania
        • Luxembourg
        • Malta
        • Monaco
        • Montenegro
        • Netherlands
        • North Macedonia
        • Norway
        • Poland
        • Portugal
        • Romania
        • San Marino
        • Serbia
        • Slovakia
        • Slovenia
        • Spain
        • Sweden
        • Switzerland
        • Türkiye
        • United Kingdom
      • 50 Leading Tech Voices
      • Athens Marathon
      • Kids’ collaborative art competition
    • Legal foundations and member states
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Legal foundations
      • Member states
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Member states by date of accession
      • Extension states
      • Validation states
    • Administrative Council and subsidiary bodies
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Communiqués
        • Go back
        • 2024
        • Overview
        • 2023
        • 2022
        • 2021
        • 2020
        • 2019
        • 2018
        • 2017
        • 2016
        • 2015
        • 2014
        • 2013
      • Calendar
      • Documents and publications
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Select Committee documents
      • Administrative Council
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Composition
        • Representatives
        • Rules of Procedure
        • Board of Auditors
        • Secretariat
        • Council bodies
    • Principles & strategy
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Mission, vision, values & corporate policy
      • Strategic Plan 2028
        • Go back
        • Driver 1: People
        • Driver 2: Technologies
        • Driver 3: High-quality, timely products and services
        • Driver 4: Partnerships
        • Driver 5: Financial sustainability
      • Towards a New Normal
      • Data protection & privacy notice
    • Leadership & management
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • About the President
      • Management Advisory Committee
    • Sustainability at the EPO
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Environmental
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Inspiring environmental inventions
      • Social
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Inspiring social inventions
      • Governance and Financial sustainability
    • Procurement
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Procurement forecast
      • Doing business with the EPO
      • Procurement procedures
      • Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) publications
      • Sustainable Procurement Policy
      • About eTendering
      • Invoicing
      • Procurement portal
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • e-Signing contracts
      • General conditions
      • Archived tenders
    • Services & activities
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Our services & structure
      • Quality
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Foundations
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • European Patent Convention
          • Guidelines for examination
          • Our staff
        • Enabling quality
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Prior art
          • Classification
          • Tools
          • Processes
        • Products & services
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Search
          • Examination
          • Opposition
          • Continuous improvement
        • Quality through networking
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • User engagement
          • Co-operation
          • User satisfaction survey
          • Stakeholder Quality Assurance Panels
        • Patent Quality Charter
        • Quality Action Plan
        • Quality dashboard
        • Statistics
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Search
          • Examination
          • Opposition
        • Integrated management at the EPO
      • Consulting our users
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Standing Advisory Committee before the EPO (SACEPO)
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Objectives
          • SACEPO and its working parties
          • Meetings
          • Single Access Portal – SACEPO Area
        • Surveys
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Detailed methodology
          • Search services
          • Examination services, final actions and publication
          • Opposition services
          • Formalities services
          • Customer services
          • Filing services
          • Key Account Management (KAM)
          • Website
          • Archive
      • Our user service charter
      • European and international co-operation
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Co-operation with member states
          • Go back
          • Overview
        • Bilateral co-operation with non-member states
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Validation system
          • Reinforced Partnership programme
        • Multilateral international co-operation with IP offices and organisations
        • Co-operation with international organisations outside the IP system
      • European Patent Academy
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Partners
      • Chief Economist
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Economic studies
      • Ombuds Office
      • Reporting wrongdoing
    • Observatory on Patents and Technology
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Technologies
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Innovation against cancer
        • Assistive robotics
        • Space technologies
      • Innovation actors
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Startups and SMEs
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Publications
        • Research universities and public research organisations
      • Policy and funding
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Financing innovation programme
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Our studies on the financing of innovation
          • EPO initiatives for patent applicants
          • Financial support for innovators in Europe
        • Patents and standards
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Publications
          • Patent standards explorer
      • Tools
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Deep Tech Finder
      • About the Observatory
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Work plan
    • Transparency portal
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • General
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Annual Review 2024
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Executive summary
          • Driver 1 – People
          • Driver 2 – Technologies
          • Driver 3 – High-quality, timely products and services
          • Driver 4 – Partnerships
          • Driver 5 – Financial Sustainability
        • Annual Review 2023
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Foreword
          • Executive summary
          • 50 years of the EPC
          • Strategic key performance indicators
          • Goal 1: Engaged and empowered
          • Goal 2: Digital transformation
          • Goal 3: Master quality
          • Goal 4: Partner for positive impact
          • Goal 5: Secure sustainability
        • Annual Review 2022
          • Go back
          • Overview
          • Foreword
          • Executive summary
          • Goal 1: Engaged and empowered
          • Goal 2: Digital transformation
          • Goal 3: Master quality
          • Goal 4: Partner for positive impact
          • Goal 5: Secure sustainability
      • Human
      • Environmental
      • Organisational
      • Social and relational
      • Economic
      • Governance
    • Statistics and trends
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Statistics & Trends Centre
      • Patent Index 2024
        • Go back
        • Insight into computer technology and AI
        • Insight into clean energy technologies
        • Statistics and indicators
          • Go back
          • European patent applications
            • Go back
            • Key trend
            • Origin
            • Top 10 technical fields
              • Go back
              • Computer technology
              • Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy
              • Digital communication
              • Medical technology
              • Transport
              • Measurement
              • Biotechnology
              • Pharmaceuticals
              • Other special machines
              • Organic fine chemistry
            • All technical fields
          • Applicants
            • Go back
            • Top 50
            • Categories
            • Women inventors
          • Granted patents
            • Go back
            • Key trend
            • Origin
            • Designations
      • Data to download
      • EPO Data Hub
      • Clarification on data sources
    • History
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • 1970s
      • 1980s
      • 1990s
      • 2000s
      • 2010s
      • 2020s
    • Art collection
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • The collection
      • Let's talk about art
      • Artists
      • Media library
      • What's on
      • Publications
      • Contact
      • Culture Space A&T 5-10
        • Go back
        • Catalyst lab & Deep vision
          • Go back
          • Irene Sauter (DE)
          • AVPD (DK)
          • Jan Robert Leegte (NL)
          • Jānis Dzirnieks (LV) #1
          • Jānis Dzirnieks (LV) #2
          • Péter Szalay (HU)
          • Thomas Feuerstein (AT)
          • Tom Burr (US)
          • Wolfgang Tillmans (DE)
          • TerraPort
          • Unfinished Sculpture - Captives #1
          • Deep vision – immersive exhibition
          • Previous exhibitions
        • The European Patent Journey
        • Sustaining life. Art in the climate emergency
        • Next generation statements
        • Open storage
        • Cosmic bar
      • "Long Night"
  • Boards of Appeal
    • Go back
    • Overview
    • Decisions of the Boards of Appeal
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Recent decisions
      • Selected decisions
    • Information from the Boards of Appeal
    • Procedure
    • Oral proceedings
    • About the Boards of Appeal
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • President of the Boards of Appeal
      • Enlarged Board of Appeal
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Pending referrals (Art. 112 EPC)
        • Decisions sorted by number (Art. 112 EPC)
        • Pending petitions for review (Art. 112a EPC)
        • Decisions on petitions for review (Art. 112a EPC)
      • Technical Boards of Appeal
      • Legal Board of Appeal
      • Disciplinary Board of Appeal
      • Presidium
        • Go back
        • Overview
    • Code of Conduct
    • Business distribution scheme
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Technical boards of appeal by IPC in 2025
      • Archive
    • Annual list of cases
    • Communications
    • Annual reports
      • Go back
      • Overview
    • Publications
      • Go back
      • Abstracts of decisions
    • Case Law of the Boards of Appeal
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Archive
  • Service & support
    • Go back
    • Overview
    • Website updates
    • Availability of online services
      • Go back
      • Overview
    • FAQ
      • Go back
      • Overview
    • Publications
    • Ordering
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Patent Knowledge Products and Services
      • Terms and conditions
        • Go back
        • Overview
        • Patent information products
        • Bulk data sets
        • Open Patent Services (OPS)
        • Fair use charter
    • Procedural communications
    • Useful links
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Patent offices of member states
      • Other patent offices
      • Directories of patent attorneys
      • Patent databases, registers and gazettes
      • Disclaimer
    • Contact us
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Filing options
      • Locations
    • Subscription centre
      • Go back
      • Overview
      • Subscribe
      • Change preferences
      • Unsubscribe
    • Official holidays
    • Glossary
    • RSS feeds
Board of Appeals
Decisions

Recent decisions

Overview
  • 2025 decisions
  • 2024 decisions
  • 2023 decisions
  1. Home
  2. T 0060/95 (Green Liquor Cleaning/CAUSTEC) 29-01-1998
Facebook X Linkedin Email

T 0060/95 (Green Liquor Cleaning/CAUSTEC) 29-01-1998

European Case Law Identifier
ECLI:EP:BA:1998:T006095.19980129
Date of decision
29 January 1998
Case number
T 0060/95
Petition for review of
-
Application number
88901945.1
IPC class
D21C 11/04
Language of proceedings
EN
Distribution
DISTRIBUTED TO BOARD CHAIRMEN (C)

Download and more information:

Decision in EN 620.72 KB
Documentation of the appeal procedure can be found in the European Patent Register
Bibliographic information is available in:
EN
Versions
Unpublished
Application title

Method for green liquor cleaning in sulphate pulp mills

Applicant name
Caustec Aktiebolag
Opponent name
A. Ahlströhm Corporation
Board
3.3.05
Headnote
-
Relevant legal provisions
European Patent Convention Art 56 1973
Keywords
Inventive step (yes, after amendment) - determination of the closest state of the art and the relevant technical problem
Catchword
-
Cited decisions
T 0606/89
T 0439/92
T 0495/91
T 0478/91
T 0390/88
T 0002/83
Citing decisions
-

I. The appeal is from the Opposition Division's decision revoking European patent No. 0 399 999. The decision under appeal was based on 2 claims presented as main request and one single claim presented as auxiliary request on 25 October 1995. The Opposition Division, after having considered 21 documents, held that the subject-matter of Claim 1 of the main request lacked novelty in respect of

D1: US-A-1 587 679,

and that the subject-matter of Claim 1 of the auxiliary request lacked inventive step.

II. On 26 November 1997 the Appellant (patent Proprietor) filed new claims according to main request, first, second and third auxiliary request (only one claim each).

The single claim according to main request read as follows:

"A method for filtering green liquor, which comprises adding a filter aid to the unclarified green liquor under agitation and removing the solid particles from the green liquor using a pressure filter, characterized in that as filter aid caustic lime is used in an amount of 1 to 3% of the quantity required for complete causticization (corresponding to 2.5 to 7.5 kg of caustic lime per metric ton pulp)."

III. Oral proceedings were held on 29 January 1998.

IV. During the oral proceedings, the following documents were taken into consideration in addition to D1:

D18: Lumikko, Application of Pressurized Filtration in Recausticizing, 1981 Int'l Conf. on Recovery of Pulping Chemicals, pages 99 to 105,

D19: US-A-4 388 197 (corresponding to SE 8103333-4, cited in the patent), and

D20: EP-B-0 125 163.

V. The Appellant's written and oral submissions can be summarized as follows:

- The patent concerned the clarification of green liquor by removing the fine particles contained therein by filtering in advance to a causticization step. In the prior art the clarification was usually done by merely settling the particles. Only in very recent times filtration of green liquor was considered to be a practically useful method. This was evident from D18 and D19 which both used CaCO3 in the form of mud or sludge as filtration aid in pressurized filtration. This method was, however, not satisfactory with respect to filterability. The problem underlying the patent in suit was, therefore, to provide a method for filtering green liquor having a better filterability.

D18 and D19 were silent about the amount of filter aid to be added and contained no hints as to a possible use of caustic lime. As could be seen from Example 1 of the patent in suit, the claimed method surprisingly resulted in an improved filterability.

- D1 was not concerned with the clarification of green liquor but only with the removal of colouring matter to produce white CaCO3. An improvement of filterability was not considered in D1, nor was there any mentioning of pressure filtration. Moreover, D1 was an old document and published at a time (in 1926) where green liquor was usually not clarified.

- Substantially the same object was addressed in D20. The process disclosed therein included a step of filtering green liquor after adding 5-10% of the slaked lime required for its causticization. Thus, there was no incentive to use less lime, let alone caustic lime in an amount of only 1-3% as presently claimed.

VI. The Respondent (Opponent) contested the Appellant's arguments as set out below:

- While it was true that D1 concerned a process for the recovery of pure CaCO3 from caustic liquors, it nevertheless included a method for clarifying green liquor as an essential precondition for obtaining the pure CaCO3 by precipitating and subsequent filtering the impurities from the green liquor.

In addition, it was known from D20 that filtration of green liquor was rendered more effective by partial causticization prior to the filtration step. D20 further demonstrated that the use of lime in the filtering of green liquor was not only mentioned at the time of D1 but also very recently in 1983, the priority date of D20. Hence, the Appellant's assertion that the only filtration methods known before the priority date of the opposed patent used lime sludge as a filter aid was incorrect.

- In accordance with T 606/89, the closest prior art was generally that document which corresponded to a similar use requiring a minimum of structural and functional modifications. Since D1 and D20 as well as D18 and D19 all referred to methods for filtering green liquor, they all dealt with the same use as the patent in suit. In D18/19 these modifications consisted in the type and amount of filtering aid, in D1 in the amount of filter aid and the use of pressure during filtration. D20 left in addition the choice between CaO and Ca(OH)2 for use in the precausticization step. Therefore, either D1 or D20 represented the closest prior art. Nevertheless, D20 was considered to represent the 'best' prior art because it already hinted at the objective problem underlying the patent in suit.

- Starting from D20 as the closest prior art and looking for a solution to the objective problem of improving filterability, the skilled person was only confronted with the choice to select from CaO and Ca(OH)2 as filter aid. Since the Appellant did not show whether CaO improved filterability over Ca(OH)2, the choice of CaO did not require an inventive step. Likewise one skilled in the art would have attained the subject-matter of Claim 1 if he had started from D1, because he would have taken into consideration that the use of a pressure filter belonged to the common general knowledge of the expert as reflected by D18/19.

Even if one started from D19, one would have been led to the solution of the above problem of improving filterability, because in the light of D20 it was obvious to try the replacement of CaCO3 by CaO.

Eventually, the adaptation of the amounts of lime was no more than routine work, in particular since the lower amounts did not show any surprising advantage and were not covered by the examples given in the patent in suit.

VII. The Appellant requested that the decision under appeal be set aside and that the patent be maintained on the basis of

(a) single claim filed on 26 November 1997 as main request or

(b) single claim filed on 26 November 1997 as first auxiliary request or

(c) single claim filed on 26 November 1997 as second auxiliary request or

(d) single claim filed on 26 November 1997 as third auxiliary request.

The Respondent requested that the appeal be dismissed.

1. The appeal is admissible.

2. After examination of the new claim of the main request, the Board has reached the conclusion that the subject-matter as defined in that claim complies with the requirements of Article 123 EPC. Since no objections were raised in this respect, it is not necessary to give reasons for this finding.

3. None of the cited prior art documents discloses a method having the combination of features as set out in the claim of the main request. The subject-matter of this claim is, therefore, novel. Since this is not contested, there is no need to give further details.

4. The only relevant question that remains to be answered in the present appeal is therefore that of inventive step.

4.1. Closest prior art and problem to be solved

4.1.1. The problem stated in the patent in suit is to provide a method for filtering green liquor having improved filterability (see specification, page 2, lines 49/50). In formulating this problem, the patent in suit starts from the pressurized filtration method taught in SE-A-8103333-4 which is a family member of D19 (see specification, page 2, lines 43 to 48) and is in the name of the author of D18.

4.1.2. By contrast, the Respondent relied upon D1 and D20 as the closest prior art. In his opinion the objective problem of the patent in suit was to improve the effectiveness of green liquor filtering with respect to a recovery of pulp chemicals in general, which problem was the same as in D1/20 and D18/19. However, D1 and D20 do not mention pressurized filtration, so that any mentioning of filtration therein must be interpreted as relating to conventional, ie unpressurized filtration.

In the Boards judgement, when determining the closest prior art document, the problem mentioned in the patent in suit should normally not be changed. Since pressure filtration is not mentioned in D1/20 it follows that by using D1/20 as the closest prior art a redefinition of the problem would be necessary. With respect to the avoidance of the risk of a judgement on an ex post facto analysis, such a redefinition should only be considered if the prior art used as a starting point in the patent is inapplicable or if the problem mentioned in the patent is not solved (see e.g. decision T 495/91 of 20 July 1993, reasons no. 4.2).

Moreover, contrary to the Respondent's submission (see point VII above), the condition mentioned in decision T 606/89 of 18 September 1990, namely that the closest prior art must be concerned with a similar use which requires a minimum of structural and functional modifications (see reasons no. 2) is not met by D1 and D20 either. Neither D1 nor D20 refer to the improvement of filterability of green liquor, but to the recovery of white CaCO3 - which is suitable as a pigment - from residual liquors from the cooking of wood (see in D1, page 1, lines 22 to 26; in D20, column 1, lines 3 to 9) and, hence, to a different use as compared to the patent in suit and to D18/19. In any case, D1 and D20 do not contain anything from which it could be concluded that the methods disclosed therein could be rendered suitable for pressure filtration, no matter by what modification. In the Board's judgement, there is thus no link between the problem set out in the patent in suit and the "closest" prior art chosen by the Respondent (see e.g. decision T 439/92 of 16 May 1994, reasons no. 6.2.2).

Hence, in accordance with the Appellant's opinion, the method described in D18 and D19 represents the closest prior art.

4.1.3. Example 1 of the patent in suit shows that in a pressure filtering process the filtering properties can be considerably improved by using caustic lime (CaO) as claimed instead of lime sludge (CaCO3) as taught in D19. However, as pointed out by the Respondent, example 1. c, the only one which epitomizes the invention, is outside the claimed amount of caustic lime of 1-3% of the quantity required for complete causticization, because 2.5 kg/m3 liquor corresponds to 8.75 kg/metric ton pulp (as can be inferred from the specification of the patent in suit, page 2, line 36) and hence to 3.5% of the quantity required for complete causticization. It is further true that 2.5kg/m3 CaO result in about 4.5kg/m3 CaCO3 after partial causticization. This is to be seen in comparison with example 1 b using 3.5kg/m3 CaCO3 in the form of lime sludge. In addition, the same cleaning effect was obtained, no matter whether CaCO3 (example 1b), CaO (invention, example 1c) or nothing at all (example 1a) was added (see page 4 of the specification of the patent in suit, lines 23/24). In the Respondent´s opinion it is, therefore, questionable whether the claimed method solved the above problem.

Under these circumstances, and in accordance with the established jurisprudence of the Boards of Appeal, it has to be established whether the alleged improvement is effectively obtained on the overall balance of probabilities, with the implication that it has to be considered which set of facts is more likely to be true. In this context, it has to be born in mind that the burden of proof regarding any allegation of fact lies with the party which alleges it. It is, therefore, not enough for the Respondent to merely dispute that an effect has been shown by the Appellant, if the presence of this effect is not prima facie incredible or implausible. In the present case, the Respondent did not provide sufficient evidence to show that the method of Claim 1 did not solve the problem posed.

On this basis, the Board is convinced that the object of improving filterability has actually been attained by the claimed method, because the improvements shown in example 1, which consist in a threefold running time and in a production raised by one and a half, are such that it is not credible that by lowering the amount of CaO from 3.5% to 3% or below, this effect would completely disappear. It is, for example, not plausible that by using CaO in an amount of 1.95 kg/m3 (ie 6.8 kg/metric ton or 2.7%) which corresponds to 3.5 kg/m3 CaCO3 as in comparative example 1b and to a lowering of only 30 % of the amount of CaO used in representative example 1c, no increase in the running time and production would occur. On the contrary, the Board infers from Example 1 that there must be a positive effect for practically the whole claimed range.

The problem mentioned in the specification in view of the method disclosed in D18 or D19, namely to improve filterability of green liquor in a pressurized filtration device, has therefore been effectively solved by the claimed method and must thus be taken into account when assessing whether that method involves an inventive step.

4.2. Inventive step

4.2.1. The patent in suit proposes to solve the problem set out above, i.e. the improvement of filterability, by using specified amounts of caustic lime as a filtering aid.

4.2.2. The method taught in D18 and D19 differs from the subject-matter of Claim 1 in that CaCO3 (lime sludge or lime mud) is used instead of CaO (see in D18, page 101, part 3; in D19, Claim 1 and column 3, lines 1 to 24) and in that no amounts are given for the CaCO3 to be added. The question to be answered is, therefore, whether in the light of the available prior art, i.e. D1 and/or D20, it was obvious for one skilled in the art to modify the known process with a view of improving the filterability through a pressure filter of green liquor in the way proposed by the patent in suit.

In accordance with the Respondent's line of argument, the Board is of the opinion that the process disclosed in D1 and D20 indeed includes the clarification of green liquor by means of filtering with lime as a filtration aid (see in D1, page 1, lines 1 to 91; in D20, column 2, line 56 to column 3, line 37, Examples 1 and 3) as a precondition for obtaining CaCO3 in purified form. D20 even mentions that the effectiveness of the filtering can be improved by a partial causticization in advance to the filtering step which consists in adding 5-10% of the lime necessary for complete causticization (see column 4, lines 29 to 38 and example 3). In D1 it is said that, after adding 5-10% of lime, the entire insoluble matter can be filtered out (see page 1, lines 71 to 89). Whereas in the Board's judgement the term "lime" in D20 clearly relates to slaked lime (Ca(OH)2) (see column 3, lines 1 to 5 and Examples 1 and 3), the Board can agree with the Respondent's submission that "lime" in D1 means caustic lime (CaO). However, in the first place both of these documents are concerned with the removal of colouring matter by filtration and, hence, with the possibility of capturing the dregs contained in the green liquor by adding lime in order to obtain a white CaCO3 product. They do not suggest or hint at any possible improvement of filterability, which includes properties like filter capacity (ie production and throughput) and service life (ie clogging time or running time). Moreover, in both cases said improvements or advantages have to be compared with the addition of nothing, ie with the addition of no filter aid at all.

4.2.3. Concerning D1, the Appellant emphasized the period of over 60 years which had elapsed between publication of said document (1926) and the filing date of the patent in suit. While in accordance with several decisions of the Boards of Appeal, in certain circumstances, the age of a document might be an additional indication of inventive step, the period of time to be considered is not necessarily the period between the publication of the old document and the filing of the European patent application but, in the present case, rather that between the time the problem became apparent and the date of filing of the European patent application providing a solution thereto (see in T 478/91 of 2 June 1993, reasons no. 3.6). In the present case, the problem of filterability of green liquor in a pressure filter became apparent not before the International Conference on Recovery of Pulping Chemicals in 1981, which is the origin of D18. Moreover, D20 shows that the method of D1 is not an old technique but was further considered up to the time of the patent in suit. The Board cannot, therefore, see that the age of D1 could be relevant to the question of inventiveness of the now claimed subject-matter.

The Board, nevertheless, does not consider that D1 can suggest the claimed solution of the problem posed because D1 does not mention the problem of filterability. Moreover, D1 proposes to use CaCO3 as an alternative for lime (see page 2, lines 37 to 46 and Claim 7). The person skilled in the art would therefore not expect that using lime in a process as disclosed in D18 or D19 instead of lime sludge (CaCO3) would result in any improvement at all, let alone in the improvement of filterability to be considered here.

4.2.4. D20 unequivocally uses slaked lime, not caustic lime, for partial causticization (see column 3, lines 1 to 5 and Examples 1 and 3). From the chemical point of view, it is certainly true that the effect of an addition of lime, whether slaked or caustic, to the green liquor must be the same with respect to the product obtained, since CaCO3 is formed by the reaction of both starting materials with the Na2CO3 contained in the liquor. It is, nevertheless, credible that in accordance with the respective findings in the specification of the patent in suit (page 3, lines 5 to 9), the CaCO3 produced according to the now claimed method might have particular physical properties which make filtration easy and prevent the filter from clogging. It is further credible that, as pointed out by the Appellant, in the case of caustic lime these properties might be due to the fact that slaking with water and chemical reaction with Na2CO3 occur, rather simultaneously, on the surface of the CaO particles. Consequently, in respect of the improvement of filterability it is not merely a matter of choice, as submitted by the Respondent, to substitute in D20 the slaked lime by caustic lime. The Board is, therefore, satisfied that even if a skilled person had at all considered to combine the technical teachings of D18/19 with D20, which, like D1, does not mention the problem of filterability, such a combination would have resulted in the suggestion to use slaked lime (Ca(OH)2) as filter aid in the method of D18/19 and would, therefore, not have led to the claimed method.

4.2.5. Even if, in the Respondent's favour, the Board had considered D1 or D20 to represent the closest state of the art, the combination of the methods described in these documents with the process of D18/19 would not have led to the claimed method in an obvious way:

In the Board´s judgement, the problem to be solved in relation to D1 and D20 consists in providing a (further) method suitable for filtering green liquor on an industrial scale. In view of the examples in the patent in suit (see point 4.1.3 above), the Board considers that this problem is effectively solved by the claimed method.

Starting from D1, the question is not whether the skilled person could have used CaO in the method taught in D18/19 (see decision T 2/83, OJ EPO 1984, 265). Rather, the relevant question is whether he would have done so in the reasonable expectation to solve the respective technical problem. This is, however, not the case here, because, as pointed out under point 4.2.3 above, there was no reason to expect that, for use in a pressure filter, CaO could be a better filter aid than CaCO3.

Likewise, the skilled person looking for suitable means for adapting the process of D20 to industrial standards would at best have used Ca(OH)2 as a filter aid in a pressure filtration method as taught in D18/19 (see point 4.2.4 above).

4.2.6. Consequently, starting from D20 the invention as set out in the single claim of the main request has not been rendered obvious, even though there was no surprising improvement of filterability in comparison with the use of slaked lime. Contrary to the Respondent´s opinion, it was, therefore, not necessary to present comparative examples with respect to that use of slaked lime in the method according to D18/19, as might have been suggested by D20, in order to establish inventiveness (see also decision T 390/88 of 20. February 1990, reasons no. 8).

4.2.7. Finally, the Board observes that, in any case, regardless of the document selected as a starting point, there remains the fact that according to the claimed subject-matter the amount of lime to be added is only 1-3% of the amount required for complete causticization. As explained under point 4.1 above, it is credible that a positive effect occurs within this range, even if the amount given in the example of the specification is just outside. No amounts are mentioned in D18/19. The amount recommended in the prior art (D1/20) for partial causticization and using conventional filtering is 5-10%. The Boards is, therefore, not convinced that it was a mere matter of routine for one skilled in the art to use an amount of CaO within the above range with the expectation that benefits in pressurized filtration could be obtained.

4.3. The patent in suit can thus be maintained with the sole claim according to the main request. Concerning the necessary adaptation of the description, the Board makes use of its power under Article 111(1) EPC, second sentence, and remits the case to the Opposition Division, in accordance with the Appellant's request. The Board observes, however, that the Opposition Division should carefully consider whether this adaptation requires, in the present case, the deletion of the Examples, in particular Example 1c, since they still may contribute to the intelligibility of the invention as claimed, or may even be necessary therefor.

4.4. Since the Appellant's main request is found allowable, there is no need to consider the auxiliary requests.

Order

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 with the order to maintain the patent with the single claim, filed on 26 November 1997 as main request, and the description to be adapted thereto.

Footer - Service & support
  • Service & support
    • Website updates
    • Availability of online services
    • FAQ
    • Publications
    • Procedural communications
    • Contact us
    • Subscription centre
    • Official holidays
    • Glossary
Footer - More links
  • Jobs & careers
  • Press centre
  • Single Access Portal
  • Procurement
  • Boards of Appeal
Facebook
European Patent Office
EPO Jobs
Instagram
EuropeanPatentOffice
Linkedin
European Patent Office
EPO Jobs
EPO Procurement
X (formerly Twitter)
EPOorg
EPOjobs
Youtube
TheEPO
Footer
  • Legal notice
  • Terms of use
  • Data protection and privacy
  • Accessibility