T 0178/84 (Unreported lack of unity) du 07.12.1987
- Identifiant européen de la jurisprudence
- ECLI:EP:BA:1987:T017884.19871207
- Date de la décision
- 7 décembre 1987
- Numéro de l'affaire
- T 0178/84
- Requête en révision de
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- Numéro de la demande
- 80107150.7
- Classe de la CIB
- G06F 13/00
- 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
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- Titre de la demande
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- Nom du demandeur
- IBM
- Nom de l'opposant
- -
- Chambre
- 3.5.01
- Sommaire
1. It lies within the discretion given to the Examining Division by Rule 25(1)(b) EPC to decide that a patent application lacks unity of invention in the sense of Article 82 EPC even if the Search Division did not raise a similar objection under Rule 46(1) EPC. (This is the opposite of the situation Rule 46(2) EPC pertains to.)
2. The provisions of the Convention relating to unity of invention illustrate its general intention to leave it to the applicant to decide with what subject-matter to proceed in his patent application. The subject-matter concerned is excluded form further prosecution in the partent application. However, the applicant can file a divisional application to cover this subject-matter.
- Dispositions juridiques pertinentes
- European Patent Convention Art 82 1973European Patent Convention R 25(1)(b) 1973European Patent Convention R 46 1973Rules relating to fees Art 2 Nr(2)
- Mots-clés
- Lack of unity - not reported in search stage
Examining Division not bound by holding of Search Division
Divisional application - not required
Subject-matter not to be prosecuted in the parent application upon non-payment of further search fee - Exergue
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- Affaires citées
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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 first instance for further prosecution on the basis of the following application documents:
Claims 1, 2 and 4 (renumbered 3), filed on 1 July 1987;
Description, page 1 as published
pages 2 to 5, 5a, 6 to 9 and 12 filed on 1 July 1987;
pages 10 and 11 filed on 5 December 1986;
Drawings, sheets 1-3 filed on 5 December 1986;
with the proviso that this Board has decided that the said claims satisfy Article 82 EPC.