Selected decisions
The list of “Selected decisions” alerts users to all newly published decisions for which a headnote or a catchword has been provided by the board. Usually, a board will add a headnote or catchword if it wishes to provide a brief summary of a particular point of law or to draw attention to an important part of the reasons for the decision. The list contains all decisions with a headnote or catchword published in the last three years and can be viewed by year by selecting the year from the menu on the left.
The list below contains all decisions with a headnote or catchword that have been released for publication in the last six months (newest first).
September 2020
Neuheit - zweite (bzw. weitere) medizinische Verwendung
Neuheit - Stoff oder Stoffgemisch im Sinne von Artikel 54(4) bzw. 54(5) EPÜ
Eine Änderung der vorläufigen Meinung der Kammer zu einem bestimmten Einspruchsgrund stellt keinen "außergewöhnlichen Umstand" im Sinne von Artikel 13(2) VOBK 2020 dar (siehe Punkt
3 der Entscheidungsgründe).
Erfinderische Tätigkeit - Hauptantrag (nein): Umformulierung der objektiven Aufgabe
Zulassung von nach der Ladung zur mündlichen Verhandlung eingereichten Anspruchssätzen - Hilfsanträge 1, 1A, 1B, 2, 3 (nein): keine "außergewöhnlichen Umstände"
Neuheit - Hauptantrag (nein)
Erfinderische Tätigkeit - Hilfsanträge 1 und 2 (nein)
Reformatio in peius
Hauptantrag: Ausreichende Offenbarung - (ja)
Hauptantrag: Neuheit - (ja)
Hauptantrag: Erfinderische Tätigkeit - (ja) (rückschauende Betrachtungsweise)
Erfinderische Tätigkeit - Neuformulierung der technischen Aufgabe
Novelty - (yes): no direct and unambiguous link between separate sections of a technical specification
Inventive step - technical prejudice in the art (no): obvious improvement of a technical specification
Bindungswirkung der vorangegangenen Beschwerdekammer-Entscheidung - (nein): keine abschließende Entscheidung zur erfinderischen Tätigkeit und neuer Sachverhalt
Berücksichtigung von durch die Einspruchsabteilung zugelassenen Beweismittel - Dokumente ED1 und ED2 (ja): Nicht-Berücksichtigung würde Art. 12(2) VOBK 2020 entgegenstehen
Erfinderische Tätigkeit - (nein): Juxtaposition
August 2020
Under Article 76(2) EPC only those Contracting States that had been designated in the earlier application at time of filing the divisional can be designated in the divisional.
A designated state forfeited in the parent application at time of filing the divisional cannot be revived in the divisional one.
Divisional application - designation of contracting states
Late-filed facts - submitted with the statement of grounds of appeal
Late-filed facts - admitted (no)
Late-filed facts - submitted during oral proceedings
Late-filed facts - admitted (no)
Under Article 76(2) EPC only those Contracting States that had been designated in the earlier application at time of filing the divisional can be designated in the divisional.
A designated state forfeited in the parent application at time of filing the divisional cannot be revived in the divisional one.
Divisional application - designation of contracting states
Late-filed facts - submitted with the statement of grounds of appeal
Late-filed facts - admitted (no)
Late-filed facts - submitted during oral proceedings
Late-filed facts - admitted (no)
Under Article 76(2) EPC only those Contracting States that had been designated in the earlier application at time of filing the divisional can be designated in the divisional.
A designated state forfeited in the parent application at time of filing the divisional cannot be revived in the divisional one.
Divisional application - designation of contracting states
Late-filed facts - submitted with the statement of grounds of appeal
Late-filed facts - admitted (no)
Late-filed facts - submitted during oral proceedings
Late-filed facts - admitted (no)