European Patent Office

W 0012/89 (Polysuccinate esters) of 29.06.1989

European Case Law Identifier
ECLI:EP:BA:1989:W001289.19890629
Date of decision
29 June 1989
Case number
W 0012/89
Petition for review of
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Application number
-
Language of proceedings
English
Distribution
No distribution (D)
Download
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Other decisions for this case
W 0012/89 1990-08-23
Abstracts for this decision
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Application title
Polysuccinate esters and lubricating compositions comprising same
Applicant name
non publié
Opponent name
-
Board
3.3.01
Headnote

The following questions of law are referred to the Enlarged Board of Appeal:

1. Does an International Searching Authority have the power to carry out a substantive examination of an international application in respect of novelty and inventive step when considering under Article 17(3)(a) PCT whether the application complies with the requirement of unity of invention set forth in Rule 13.1 PCT?

2. If an International Searching Authority does have such power, in what circumstance does it have an obligation to carry out such a substantive examination?

3. Is the Agreement between EPO and WIPO dated 1 January 1988 binding either upon the EPO when acting as ISA, or upon the Boards of Appeal of the EPO?

Keywords
Non-unity a posteriori
Referral to the Enlarged Board of Appeal
Catchword
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Cited cases
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Citing cases
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ORDER

For these reasons, it is decided that:

The following questions of law are referred to the Enlarged Board of Appeal:

1. Does an International Searching Authority have the power to carry out a substantive examination of an international application in respect of novelty and inventive step when considering under Article 17(3)(a) PCT whether the application complies with the requirement of unity of invention set forth in Rule 13.1 PCT?

2. If an International Searching Authority does have such power, in what circumstances does it have an obligation to carry out such a substantive examination?

3. Is the above-identified Agreement dated 1 January 1988 binding either upon the EPO when acting as ISA, or upon the Boards of Appeal of the EPO?