T 1054/96 (Transgenic plant) du 13.10.1997
- Identifiant européen de la jurisprudence
- ECLI:EP:BA:1997:T105496.19971013
- Date de la décision
- 13 octobre 1997
- Numéro de l'affaire
- T 1054/96
- Requête en révision de
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- Numéro de la demande
- 91810144.5
- Classe de la CIB
- A01N 63/00
- Langue de la procédure
- Anglais
- Distribution
- Distribuées aux présidents des chambres de recours (C)
- Téléchargement
- Décision en anglais
- Autres décisions pour cet affaire
- T 1054/96 Anti-pathogenic compositions/NOVARTIS III 2000-12-06
- Résumés pour cette décision
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- Titre de la demande
- Anti-pathogenically effective composition comprising lytic peptides and hydrolytic enzymes
- Nom du demandeur
- NOVARTIS AG
- Nom de l'opposant
- -
- Chambre
- 3.3.04
- Sommaire
The following questions are referred to the Enlarged Board of Appeal for decision:
1. To what extent should the instances of the EPO examine an application in respect of whether the claims are allowable in view of the provision of Article 53(b) EPC that patents shall not be granted in respect of plant varieties or essentially biological processes for the production of plants, which provision does not apply to microbiological processes or the products thereof, and how should a claim be interpreted for this purpose?
2. Does a claim which relates to plants but wherein specific plant varieties are not individually claimed ipso facto avoid the prohibition on patenting in Article 53(b) EPC even though it embraces plant varieties?
3. Should the provisions of Article 64(2) EPC be taken into account when considering what claims are allowable?
4. Does a plant variety, in which each individual plant of that variety contains at least one specific gene introduced into an ancestral plant by recombinant gene technology, fall outside the provision of Article 53(b) EPC that patents shall not be granted in respect of plant varieties or essentially biological processes for the production of plants, which provision does not apply to microbiological processes or the products thereof?
- Dispositions juridiques pertinentes
- European Patent Convention Art 112(1) 1973European Patent Convention Art 164(2) 1973European Patent Convention Art 172 1973European Patent Convention Art 33(1)(b) 1973European Patent Convention Art 52 1973European Patent Convention Art 53(b) 1973European Patent Convention Art 54 1973European Patent Convention Art 64(2) 1973European Patent Convention Art 84 1973
- Mots-clés
- Claims encompassing plant varieties
Genetically engineered plant varieties
Essentially biological processes for the production of plants
Varieties as products of microbiological processes
Contravention of prohibition of Article 53(b) EPC
Referral to Enlarged Board (yes) - Exergue
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ORDER
For these reasons it is decided that:
The following questions are referred to the Enlarged Board of Appeal for decision:
1. To what extent should the instances of the EPO examine an application in respect of whether the claims are allowable in view of the provision of Article 53(b) EPC that patents shall not be granted in respect of plant varieties or essentially biological processes for the production of plants, which provision does not apply to microbiological processes or the products thereof, and how should a claim be interpreted for this purpose?
2. Does a claim which relates to plants but wherein specific plant varieties are not individually claimed ipso facto avoid the prohibition on patenting in Article 53(b) EPC even though it embraces plant varieties?
3. Should the provisions of Article 64(2) EPC be taken into account when considering what claims are allowable?
4. Does a plant variety, in which each individual plant of that variety contains at least one specific gene introduced into an ancestral plant by recombinant gene technology, fall outside the provision of Article 53(b) EPC that patents shall not be granted in respect of plant varieties or essentially biological processes for the production of plants, which provision does not apply to microbiological processes or the products thereof?