G 0001/15 of 29.11.2016

European Case Law Identifier: ECLI:EP:BA:2016:G000115.20161129
Date of decision: 29 November 2016
Case number: G 0001/15
Petition for review of: T 0557/13 2015-07-17
Application number: 98203458.9
IPC class: A01H 5/10
Language of proceedings: English
Distribution: Published in the EPO's Official Journal (A)
Download: Decision in English
OJ versions: German
English
French
Other decisions for this case: -
Abstracts for this decision: -
Application title: Use of cold flow improvers in fuel oil compositions
Applicant name: Infineum USA L.P.
Opponent name: Clariant Produkte (Deutschland) GmbH
Board: -
Headnote: -
Relevant legal provisions: European Patent Convention Art 112(1)(a)European Patent Convention Art 123(2)European Patent Convention Art 54 European Patent Convention Art 76 European Patent Convention Art 87 European Patent Convention Art 88 European Patent Convention Art 89Paris Convention Art 004a(1)Paris Convention Art 004bParis Convention Art 004cParis Convention Art 004fParis Convention Art 004h
Keywords: Admissibility of referrals by the boards of appeal yes
Point of law of fundamental importance - yes
Priority right - conditions and effects
Partial and multiple priorities
Legal basis and assessment of partial priority
Catchword: Under the EPC, entitlement to partial priority may not be refused for a claim encompassing alternative subject-matter by virtue of one or more generic expressions or otherwise (generic "OR"-claim) provided that said alternative subject-matter has been disclosed for the first time, directly, or at least implicitly, unambiguously and in an enabling manner in the priority document. No other substantive conditions or limitations apply in this respect.
Cited cases: G 0003/89 G 0003/93 G 0002/98 G 0001/03 G 0002/10 J 0015/80 T 0301/87 T 0665/00 T 1127/00 T 0135/01 T 1443/05 T 0184/06 T 1877/08 T 0476/09 T 2311/09 T 0571/10 T 1222/11 T 1496/11
Citing cases: G 0001/16 G 0001/22 G 0002/22 R 0004/23 T 0282/12 T 1035/12 T 1526/12 T 0557/13 T 1399/13 T 1564/13 T 1705/13 T 2387/13 T 2466/13 T 0088/14 T 0260/14 T 0318/14 T 0421/14 T 0437/14 T 0624/14 T 0719/14 T 0969/14 T 1775/14 T 1934/14 T 2154/14 T 0149/15 T 1519/15 T 1879/15 T 2097/15 T 2382/15 T 1487/16 T 1728/16 T 2184/16 T 0032/17 T 0776/17 T 1055/17 T 2181/17 T 2593/17 T 2621/17 T 0113/18 T 0747/18 T 0844/18 T 0933/18 T 1078/18 T 1303/18 T 1385/18 T 1478/18 T 1818/18 T 0401/19 T 0804/19 T 0875/19 T 1120/19 T 1570/19 T 1700/19 T 2407/19 T 0279/20 T 0335/20 T 0088/21 T 0319/21 T 1895/21 T 1946/21 T 0307/22 T 0518/22 T 0933/22 T 2565/22 T 0493/23 T 1515/23 T 0514/24

Order

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

Under the EPC, entitlement to partial priority may not be refused for a claim encompassing alternative subject-matter by virtue of one or more generic expressions or otherwise (generic "OR"-claim) provided that said alternative subject-matter has been disclosed for the first time, directly, or at least implicitly, unambiguously and in an enabling manner in the priority document. No other substantive conditions or limitations apply in this respect.