Pages 165-175

Decisions discussed in the Case Law Report for 2011

I.

PATENTABILITY

A.

Exceptions to patentability

1.

Patentability of biological inventions

1.1

Plants and plant varieties

T 1854/07 3.3.04 12.05.10

T 189/09 3.3.08 27.07.11

2.

Medical methods

2.1

Surgical methods

T 992/03 3.4.01 04.11.10

T 663/02 3.4.01 17.03.11

T 1075/06 3.2.02 17.05.11

T 836/08 3.2.02 12.05.11

T 923/08 3.2.08 02.08.11

T 1695/07 3.3.07 28.09.11

2.2.

Therapeutic methods

T 1635/09 3.3.02 27.10.10

T 1075/06 3.2.02 17.05.11

T 385/09 3.2.04 25.11.10

B.

Novelty

1.

Defining the state of the art

1.1

Excluded national prior rights

T 1698/09 3.2.07 10.05.11

1.2

European prior rights

T 1926/08 3.3.07 03.05.11

1.3

Availability to the public

T 7/07 3.3.02 07.07.11

T 278/09 3.3.06 25.01.11

T 2/09 3.5.04 12.03.12

T 1553/06 3.5.04 12.03.12

1.4

Obligation to maintain secrecy

T 1168/09 3.2.04 15.10.10

T 945/09 3.3.02 23.06.10

1.5

Issues of proof

1.5.1

Information retrieved from the internet

T 2339/09 3.2.03 17.11.11

2.

Determining the content of the relevant prior art

2.1

Taking implicit features into account

T 701/09 3.3.06 03.08.11

3.

Chemical inventions and selection inventions

T 1130/09 3.3.10 05.05.11

C.

Inventive step

1.

Problem and solution approach

T 188/09 3.3.04 21.07.11

2.

Closest prior art

T 53/08 3.3.01 01.11.10

3.

Combination of documents

T 715/09 3.2.03 18.10.11

4.

Treatment of technical and non-technical features

4.1

Formulation of the technical problem

T 1769/10 3.4.03 12.04.11

T 1235/07 3.5.01 17.03.11

4.2

Methods of playing games

T 1782/09 3.2.04 05.05.11

T 1225/10 3.2.04 11.01.11

4.3

Further cases

T 1244/07 3.5.01 27.01.11

T 928/07 3.4.03 07.04.11

5.

Chemical inventions

T 777/08 3.3.01 24.05.11

6.

Secondary indicia – enhanced effect

T 423/09 3.2.04 03.02.11

II.

CONDITIONS TO BE MET BY AN APPLICATION

A.

Sufficiency of disclosure

1.

Parts of the application relevant for assessing sufficiency of disclosure

T 390/08 3.3.05 29.06.11

2.

Clarity and completeness of disclosure

T 1546/08 3.2.02 08.12.10

3.

Reproducibility without undue burden

T 1685/10 3.3.02 06.06.11

4.

The relationship between Article 83 and Article 84 EPC

4.1

Article 83 EPC and support from the description

T 1414/08 3.3.06 05.04.11

4.2

Article 83 EPC and clarity of claims

T 891/07 3.4.01 27.10.10

T 482/09 3.3.06 14.07.11

5.

Evidence

T 386/08 3.3.04 22.11.10

B.

Claims

1.

Indication of all essential features in the claim

T 923/08 3.2.08 02.08.11

2.

Burden of proof in relation to an exception under Rule 43(2) EPC

T 1388/10 3.3.05 25.03.11

3.

Using the description to interpret the claims

T 197/10 3.3.06 28.10.11

4.

Consideration of Article 84 EPC in the case of multiple requests

T 75/09 3.3.03 13.09.11

III.

AMENDMENTS

A.

Article 123(2) EPC

1.

General issues

T 1171/08 3.3.06 08.02.11

2.

Intermediate generalisation - non-disclosed combinations

T 477/09 3.3.03 10.06.11

3.

Technical contribution – addition or deletion of a feature

T 783/09 3.3.04 25.01.11

T 2230/08 3.3.07 19.05.11

4.

Disclaimers

4.1

Applicable law – decisions G 1/03, G 2/03 and G 2/10

G 2/10 30.08.11

T 1068/07 3.3.08 25.06.10

T 1068/07 3.3.08 07.03.12

4.2

Decisions applying the criteria established by G 1/03 and G 2/03

T 477/09 3.3.03 10.06.11

T 1695/07 3.3.07 28.09.11

B.

Article 123(3) EPC

1.

General issues

T 177/08 3.3.02 08.04.11

T 547/08 3.2.02 10.03.11

T 1172/08 3.3.08 07.10.11

T 260/10 3.2.04 08.11.11

2.

Change of claim category

T 1635/09 3.3.02 20.10.10

C.

Rule 139 EPC

T 2230/08 3.3.07 19.05.11

IV.

DIVISIONAL APPLICATIONS

1.

Pending earlier application

J 4/11 3.1.01 25.11.11

J 24/10 3.1.01 15.04.11

J 19/10 3.1.01 17.05.11

2.

Content of the earlier application as filed

T 2175/09 3.5.04 10.06.11

3.

Filing date

T 600/08 3.4.03 17.11.11

V.

PRIORITY

1.

Identity of invention

T 110/07 3.3.05 30.11.11

VI.

RULES COMMON TO ALL PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE EPO

A.

The principle of the protection of legitimate expectations

1.

Responsibility for filing valid authorisation

T 267/08 3.4.01 29.11.11

2.

Failure to observe deadline for opposition

T 1644/10 3.3.05 26.10.11

B.

Right to be heard

T 2415/09 3.3.10 15.09.11

C.

Oral proceedings

1.

Examining division's decision on venue of oral proceedings

T 689/05 3.5.04 07.09.10

T 933/10 3.3.03 25.01.11

2.

Request for oral proceedings

T 1050/09 3.2.08 07.04.11

T 1829/10 3.2.02 01.02.11

3.

Changing of date of oral proceedings

T 1610/08 3.2.02 21.09.11

T 584/09 3.3.01 03.02.11

4.

Telephone call at appeal stage

T 263/07 3.5.06 18.01.11

T 1984/07 3.4.01 14.12.11

D.

Re-establishment of rights

1.

Competence of board to decide on request

T 1973/09 3.2.07 09.08.11

2.

Admissibility of requests for re-establishment of rights

J 21/10 3.1.01 22.12.11

3.

Due care

T 1289/10 3.5.06 13.04.11

T 1149/11 3.4.01 20.09.11

E.

Rules relating to Fees

1.

Partial refund of the examination fee - start of substantive examination

J 25/10 3.1.01 21.07.11

2.

Payment of the opposition fee by debit order

T 1265/10 3.2.04 15.04.11

F.

Law of evidence

1.

Evaluation of evidence – public prior use

T 2010/08 3.2.03 14.01.11

T 1914/08 3.2.07 13.10.11

2.

Burden of proof

2.1

Apportioning the burden of proof

T 578/06 3.3.04 29.06.11

2.2

Shifting the burden of proof

T 1162/07 3.3.01 06.10.10

G.

Representation

1.

Filing of authorisation

T 267/08 3.4.01 29.11.10

2.

Authorisation of an association of representatives

J 8/10 3.1.01 05.10.11

3.

Oral submissions by an accompanying person

T 1687/08 3.5.02 09.11.11

H.

Decisions of EPO departments

1.

Composition of the competent departments of first instance

T 1652/08 3.3.10 12.04.11

2.

Reasons for the decision

2.1

Non-compliance with the requirements of Rule 111(2) EPC

T 2375/10 3.3.10 01.12.11

T 534/08 3.3.01 26.09.11

T 180/10 3.2.07 02.05.11

I.

Other procedural questions

1.

General

T 1535/10 3.2.03 13.05.11

2.

Exclusion from file inspection under Rule 144 EPC

J 23/10 3.1.01 12.07.11

VII.

PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE EPO

A.

Preliminary and formalities examination

1.

Subsequent filing of missing parts of the description or missing drawings

T 2166/10 3.5.03 01.12.11

B.

Examination procedure

1.

Admissibility of further amendments

1.1

Amendments relating to unsearched subject-matter

T 789/07 3.5.06 14.04.11

2.

Substantive examination without an additional search

T 1411/08 3.5.01 06.06.11

2.1

Issue of a further communication under Article 113(1) EPC

T 1388/10 3.3.05 25.03.11

3.

Consideration of Article 84 EPC in the case of multiple requests

T 75/09 3.3.03 13.09.11

4.

Legal basis for refusing an application if no text submitted or agreed

T 888/07 3.5.05 19.04.11

5.

Withdrawal of the patent application – presumption of an official publication

J 1/11 3.1.01 28.06.11

C.

Special features of opposition and appeal proceedings

1.

Late submission

1.1

New arguments in appeal proceedings

T 1621/09 3.2.03 22.09.11

T 1069/08 3.3.08 08.09.11

1.2

Procedural economy

T 1488/08 3.2.01 14.10.11

1.3

Late filing of documents concerning public prior use

T 1914/08 3.2.07 13.10.11

2.

Intervention

T 1196/08 3.3.02 10.11.10

T 7/07 3.3.02 07.07.11

3.

Article 115 EPC – observations by third parties

T 146/07 3.3.08 13.12.11

T 1336/09 3.4.02 14.12.11

4.

Transfer of party status

4.1

Transfer of opposition status to universal successor

T 1421/05 3.3.09 18.01.11

4.2

Party status as proprietor

T 128/10 3.4.01 10.12.10

5.

Surrender or lapse of the patent

5.1

Requests for revocation of the patent

T 1610/07 3.3.04 14.04.11

T 1244/08 3.3.10 07.07.11

5.2

Lapse of the patent before opposition proceedings

T 606/10 3.3.08 12.05.11

6.

Apportionment of costs

T 1282/08 3.3.04 22.06.11

T 854/09 3.2.04 11.03.11

T 1771/08 3.4.02 10.02.11

D.

Opposition procedure

1.

Admissibility of the opposition

1.1

Legal basis for the opposition

T 600/08 3.4.03 17.11.11

T 2/09 3.5.04 12.03.12

T 1553/06 3.5.04 12.03.12

1.2

Opposition period

T 1644/10 3.3.05 26.10.11

1.3

Admissibility of documents filed and referred to in a notice of opposition

T 1022/09 3.2.07 27.10.11

1.4

Due substantiation of the grounds for opposition

T 1014/09 3.2.07 12.05.11

2

Substantive examination of the opposition - new grounds for opposition

T 1549/07 3.3.03 13.12.10

3.

Amendments in opposition proceedings

3.1

Admissibility

T 491/09 3.2.07 15.09.11

3.2

Substantive examination

T 589/09 3.3.06 03.05.11

4.

Right to be heard – opportunity to comment on new grounds of opposition

T 2362/08 3.3.07 14.03.11

E.

Appeal procedure

1.

Devolutive effect of the appeal

T 448/09 3.4.01 18.10.11

2.

Procedural status of the parties

2.1

Rights of parties under Article 107 EPC

T 1421/05 3.3.09 18.01.11

3.

Extent of scrutiny

3.1

Binding effect of requests - no reformatio in peius

T 1033/08 3.2.02 20.07.11

T 974/10 3.2.05 05.07.11

3.2

Subject-matter under examination

T 1188/09 3.2.04 07.04.11

3.3

Review of first-instance discretionary decisions

T 109/08 3.3.02 27.01.12

4.

Filing and admissibility of the appeal

4.1

Board competent to hear a case

J 21/09 3.1.01 01.08.11

4.2

Entitlement to appeal

4.2.1

Party adversely affected

T 193/07 3.3.05 11.05.11

4.3

Form and time limit of appeal

4.3.1

Form and content of notice of appeal

T 128/10 3.4.01 10.12.10

T 1421/05 3.3.09 18.01.11

T 445/08 3.3.07 30.01.12

4.4

Statement of grounds of appeal

4.4.1

General principles

T 95/10 3.2.04 02.08.11

T 1707/07 3.5.04 10.05.11

5.

Remittal to the department of first instance

5.1

Remittal following a substantial procedural violation

T 1349/10 3.3.10 02.02.11

6.

Petition for review

6.1

General

R 20/10 25.08.11

6.2

Obligation to raise objections in accordance with Rule 106 EPC

R 3/11 16.12.11

R 1/10 22.02.11

R 17/10 15.06.11

6.3

Fundamental violation of Article 113 EPC

R 3/10 29.09.11

R 14/10 26.01.11

R 23/10 15.07.11

R 11/11 14.11.11

6.4

Any other procedural defect

R 14/10 26.01.11

R 19/10 16.03.11

R 16/10 20.12.10

7.

Amended claims in appeal proceedings

7.1

Article 12(4) RPBA

7.1.1

Introduction

7.1.2

Patent proprietor withholding claim requests in opposition proceedings

T 1067/08 3.3.09 10.02.11

T 144/09 3.2.06 04.05.11

T 23/10 3.3.02 18.01.11

7.1.3

Feature re-introduced in appeal proceedings

T 1969/08 3.5.05 07.06.11

7.1.4

Non-attendance at oral proceedings

T 1587/07 3.4.03 10.12.10

T 1403/07 3.5.04 24.05.11

7.1.5

Additional search required

T 2127/09 3.2.04 12.05.11

7.2

Criteria applied in the assessment of late-filed claims

T 1634/09 3.2.04 30.06.11

T 1168/08 3.3.07 10.06.11

8.

Reimbursement of the appeal fee

T 2006/08 3.3.08 18.10.11

VIII.

INSTITUTIONAL MATTERS

1.

Legal status of the EPO boards of appeal

R 1/10 22.02.11

2.

Ordinances on the extension of European patents

2.1

The legal nature of extension agreements

T 7/07 3.3.02 07.07.11

T 1196/08 3.3.02 10.11.10

2.2

Jurisdiction of the boards of appeal

J 22/10 3.1.01 12.12.11