G 0005/88 (Administrative Agreement) du 16.11.1990

Identifiant européen de la jurisprudence

ECLI:EP:BA:1990:G000588.19901116

Date de la décision

16 novembre 1990

Numéro de l'affaire

G 0005/88

Requête en révision de

T 0117/87 1988-07-06

Numéro de la demande

79302462.1

Classe de la CIB

H16N 1/36

Langue de la procédure

Anglais

Distribution

Publiées au Journal officiel de l'OEB (A)

Téléchargement

Décision en anglais

Versions JO

Autres décisions pour cet affaire

Résumés pour cette décision

Titre de la demande

Nom du demandeur

Medtronic

Nom de l'opposant

Biotronik

Chambre

Sommaire

1. The capacity of the President of the European Patent Office to represent the European Patent Organisation by virtue of Article 5(3) EPC is one of his functions but is not one of his powers. The extent of the President's power is governed by the EPC, but not by Article 5(3) EPC.

2. To the extent that the Administrative Agreement dated 29 June 1981 between the President of the EPO and the President of the German Patent Office contains terms regulating the treatment of documents intended for the EPO and received by the German Patent Office in Berlin, the President of the EPO did not himself have the power to enter into such an agreement on behalf of the EPO, at any time before the opening of the Filing Office for the EPO in Berlin on 1 July 1989.

3. In application of the principle of good faith and the protection of the legitimate expectations of users of the EPO, if a person has at any time, since publication of the Agreement in the Official Journal and before 1 July 1989, filed documents intended for the EPO at the German Patent Office in Berlin (otherwise than by hand), the EPO was then bound to treat such documents as if it had received them on the date of receipt at the German Patent Office in Berlin.

Dispositions juridiques pertinentes

Agreement EPO GPODecision President 10.05.1989European Patent Convention Art 10 1973 European Patent Convention Art 112 1973 European Patent Convention Art 33 1973 European Patent Convention Art 4 1973 European Patent Convention Art 5 1973 European Patent Convention Art 6 1973 European Patent Convention Art 7 1973 European Patent Convention Art 99(1) 1973

Mots-clés

Treatment of documents intended for the EPO and received by the German Patent Office in Berlin
Functions and powers of the President
Principle of good faith
Protection of the legitimate expectations of users of the EPO

Exergue

Affaires citées

Affaires citantes

G 0001/97 G 0002/97 R 0004/09 J 0002/94 J 0022/94 J 0029/94 J 0030/94 J 0003/95 J 0014/95 J 0015/95 J 0016/95 J 0017/95 J 0024/95 J 0025/95 J 0014/96 J 0007/97 J 0038/97 J 0005/98 J 0008/00 J 0018/01 J 0019/01 J 0034/03 J 0013/04 J 0001/12 J 0013/16 J 0010/17 J 0010/20 J 0004/23 J 0005/23 T 0117/87 T 0149/87 T 0096/88 T 0545/91 T 0925/91 T 0201/92 T 0690/93 T 0045/94 T 0343/95 T 0460/95 T 0161/96 T 0742/96 T 0740/98 T 0500/00 T 1029/00 T 0846/01 T 0815/02 T 0315/03 T 1012/03 T 0991/04 T 0308/05 T 0335/06 T 0482/06 T 1382/08 T 1607/08 T 1644/10 T 1037/11 T 2246/13 T 0578/14 T 1815/15 T 0506/16 T 2360/19 T 2516/19 T 2689/19 T 1659/22

ORDER

For these reasons, it is decided that: The questions of law which were referred to the Enlarged Board of Appeal are answered as follows:

(i) To the extent that the Administrative Agreement dated 29 June 1981 between the President of the EPO and the President of the German Patent Office contains terms regulating the treatment of documents intended for the EPO and received by the German Patent Office in Berlin, the President of the EPO did not himself have the power to enter into such an agreement on behalf of the EPO, at any time before the opening of the Filing Office for the EPO in Berlin on 1 July 1989.

(ii) In application of the principle of good faith and the protection of the legitimate expectations of users of the EPO, if a person has at any time since publication of the Agreement in the Official Journal and before 1 July 1989 filed documents intended for the EPO at the German Patent Office in Berlin (otherwise than by hand), the EPO was then bound to treat such documents as if it had received them on the date of receipt at the German Patent Office in Berlin.