European Patent Office

G 0003/99 (Admissibility of joint opposition or joint appeal/HOWARD FLOREY) du 18.02.2002

Identifiant européen de la jurisprudence
ECLI:EP:BA:2002:G000399.20020218
Date de la décision
18 février 2002
Numéro de l'affaire
G 0003/99
Requête en révision de
T 0272/95 1999-04-15
Numéro de la demande
83307553.4
Classe de la CIB
C12N 15/16
Langue de la procédure
Anglais
Distribution
Publiées au Journal officiel de l'OEB (A)
Téléchargement
Décision en anglais
Autres décisions pour cet affaire
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Résumés pour cette décision
-
Titre de la demande
Molecular cloning and characterization of a further gene sequence coding for human relaxin
Nom du demandeur
Howard Florey Institute of Experimental Physiology & Medicine
Nom de l'opposant
(01) Aglietta, Amendola et al.
(02) Paul Lannoye
Chambre
-
Sommaire

1. An opposition filed in common by two or more persons, which otherwise meets the requirements of Article 99 EPC and Rules 1 and 55 EPC, is admissible on payment of only one opposition fee.

2. If the opposing party consists of a plurality of persons, an appeal must be filed by the common representative under Rule 100 EPC. Where the appeal is filed by a non-entitled person, the Board of Appeal shall consider it not to be duly signed and consequently invite the common representative to sign it within a given time limit. The non-entitled person who filed the appeal shall be informed of this invitation. If the previous common representative is no longer participating in the proceedings, a new common representative shall be determined pursuant to Rule 100 EPC.

3. In order to safeguard the rights of the patent proprietor and in the interests of procedural efficiency, it has to be clear throughout the procedure who belongs to the group of common opponents or common appellants. If either a common opponent or appellant (including the common representative) intends to withdraw from the proceedings, the EPO shall be notified accordingly by the common representative or by a new common representative determined under Rule 100(1) EPC in order for the withdrawal to take effect.

Mots-clés
Admissibility - Fee for opposition - persons acting in common in filing notice of opposition - common opposition - joint opposition
Admissibility - Fee for appeal - persons acting in common in filing notice of appeal - common appeal - joint appeal
Common representative
Exergue
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ORDER

For these reasons, it is decided that the questions of law referred by Technical Board of Appeal 3.3.4 in decision T272/95 are answered as follows:

1. An opposition filed in common by two or more persons, which otherwise meets the requirements of Article 99 EPC and Rules 1 and 55 EPC, is admissible on payment of only one opposition fee.

2. If the opposing party consists of a plurality of persons, an appeal must be filed by the common representative under Rule 100 EPC. Where the appeal is filed by a non-entitled person, the Board of Appeal shall consider it not to be duly signed and consequently invite the common representative to sign it within a given time limit. The non-entitled person who filed the appeal shall be informed of this invitation. If the previous common representative is no longer participating in the proceedings, a new common representative shall be determined pursuant to Rule 100 EPC.

3. In order to safeguard the rights of the patent proprietor and in the interests of procedural efficiency, it has to be clear throughout the procedure who belongs to the group of common opponents or common appellants. If either a common opponent or appellant (including the common representative) intends to withdraw from the proceedings, the EPO shall be notified accordingly by the common representative or by a new common representative determined under Rule 100(1) EPC in order for the withdrawal to take effect.