European Patent Office

T 0366/96 (Fabric bleaching/NOVO NORDISK) of 17.02.2000

European Case Law Identifier
ECLI:EP:BA:2000:T036696.20000217
Date of decision
17 February 2000
Case number
T 0366/96
Petition for review of
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Application number
89905395.3
IPC class
C11D 3/395
Language of proceedings
English
Distribution
Distributed to board chairmen and members (B)
OJ versions
No OJ links found
Other decisions for this case
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Abstracts for this decision
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Application title
A detergent additive for bleaching fabric
Applicant name
NOVO NORDISK A/S
Opponent name
Henkel Kommanditgesellschaft auf Aktien
GENENCOR INTERNATIONAL INC.
Unilever N.V
Board
3.3.06
Headnote
-
Keywords
Main request: novelty - no
Auxiliary requests: inventive step - no (obvious to try)
Catchword
If in the case of selecting two components of a composition from two known lists of possible ingredients a skilled person has, as soon as one component is taken from the first list, no choice in selecting the second component from the second list in view of compelling technical necessities which made the particular second component mandatory, then this cannot be considered to be a "twofold" selection which could render the resulting combination novel (cf. reasons point 2.1).
Cited cases
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Citing cases
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ORDER

For these reasons it is decided that:

1. The decision under appeal is set aside.

2. The patent is revoked.