European Patent Office

T 0809/21 du 05.07.2022

Identifiant européen de la jurisprudence
ECLI:EP:BA:2022:T080921.20220705
Date de la décision
5 juilliet 2022
Numéro de l'affaire
T 0809/21
Requête en révision de
-
Numéro de la demande
07831774.0
Langue de la procédure
Anglais
Distribution
Distribuées aux présidents des chambres de recours (C)
Téléchargement
Décision en anglais
Versions JO
Aucun lien JO trouvé
Autres décisions pour cet affaire
-
Résumés pour cette décision
-
Titre de la demande
COMMUNICATION DEVICE, IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND CARTRIDGE
Nom du demandeur
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Nom de l'opposant
Nickel, André
Chambre
3.4.03
Sommaire
-
Mots-clés
Extent of opposition
Reimbursement of appeal fee - substantial procedural violation (yes)
Exergue
In a case where the patent is not opposed in its entirety, the opposition being directed at certain claims only, and where the Opposition Division decides that all of the proprietor's requests in relation to the opposed claims must fail, only the unopposed claims, which are not part of any opposition proceedings, are left standing.
Hence, provided the requirements of Rule 82(1) EPC are met (either during oral proceedings or, in a written procedure, by means of a separate communication), the patent may be maintained on the basis of the unopposed claims, irrespective of whether the proprietor has filed an explicit request for this during the proceedings. Such a request would, in fact, be superfluous, since the unopposed claims have been granted and are not the subject of any opposition. The unopposed claims of the granted patent are therefore always available to the proprietor as the minimum basis on which the patent may be maintained (Reasons, point 5.2).
Affaires citantes
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Order

For these reasons it is decided that:

1. The decision under appeal is set aside.

2. The case is remitted to the opposition division for further prosecution.

3. The appeal fee is to be reimbursed in full.