G 0007/93 (Late amendments) of 13.05.1994

European Case Law Identifier

ECLI:EP:BA:1994:G000793.19940513

Date of decision

13 May 1994

Case number

G 0007/93

Petition for review of

T 0830/91 1993-05-25

Application number

87116757.3

IPC class

A61K 47/00

Language of proceedings

English

Distribution

Published in the EPO's Official Journal (A)

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Decision in English

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Other decisions for this case

Abstracts for this decision

Application title

Penetration enhancers for transdermal delivery of systemic agents

Applicant name

Whitby Research, Inc.

Opponent name

Board

Headnote

I. An approval of a notified text submitted by an applicant pursuant to Rule 51(4) EPC does not become binding once a communication in accordance with Rule 51(6) EPC has been issued. Following issue of such a communication under Rule 51(6) EPC and until issue of a decision to grant the patent, the Examining Division has a discretion under Rule 86(3) EPC, second sentence, whether or not to allow amendment of the application.

II. When exercising such discretion following issue of a communication under Rule 51(6) EPC, an Examining Division must consider all relevant factors. In particular it must consider and balance the applicant's interest in obtaining a patent which is legally valid in all of the designated States, and the EPO's interest in bringing the examination procedure to a close by the issue of a decision to grant the patent. Having regard to the object underlying the issue of a communication under Rule 51(6) EPC, which is to conclude the granting procedure on the basis of the previously approved text, the allowance of a request for amendment at that late stage in the granting procedure will be an exception rather than the rule.

III. Reservations under Article 167(2) EPC do not constitute requirements of the EPC which have to be met according to Article 96(2) EPC.

Relevant legal provisions

European Patent Convention Art 113(2) 1973 European Patent Convention Art 123(1) 1973 European Patent Convention Art 167(2) 1973 European Patent Convention Art 96(2) 1973 European Patent Convention R 51(4) 1973 European Patent Convention R 51(6) 1973 European Patent Convention R 86(3) 1973

Keywords

Amendments after a Rule 51(6) communication - discretion of Examining Division
Reservations under Article 167(2) EPC

Catchword

Cited cases

Citing cases

R 0010/08 R 0011/11 J 0014/95 J 0024/95 J 0025/95 J 0030/95 J 0003/99 J 0014/11 J 0013/12 J 0015/13 J 0014/19 T 0855/90 T 0830/91 T 0790/93 T 0007/95 T 0510/95 T 0556/95 T 0798/95 T 0939/95 T 0237/96 T 0755/96 T 1066/96 T 0142/97 T 0972/97 T 0976/97 T 1149/97 T 1225/97 T 0208/00 T 0015/01 T 0333/01 T 0268/02 T 0425/02 T 0749/02 T 0975/03 T 1064/04 T 0208/05 T 1194/06 T 1788/06 T 0888/07 T 0937/07 T 1614/07 T 1707/07 T 1982/07 T 0109/08 T 0229/08 T 0578/08 T 0782/08 T 0825/08 T 0849/08 T 1067/08 T 1125/08 T 1872/08 T 2102/08 T 0022/09 T 0043/09 T 0309/09 T 0573/09 T 0690/09 T 0902/09 T 0936/09 T 0937/09 T 1214/09 T 1462/09 T 1743/09 T 2355/09 T 2409/09 T 2415/09 T 2422/09 T 0027/10 T 0028/10 T 0147/10 T 0810/10 T 0850/10 T 1074/10 T 1117/10 T 1198/10 T 1388/10 T 1393/10 T 1399/10 T 1426/10 T 1712/10 T 1752/10 T 1777/10 T 2165/10 T 2177/10 T 2219/10 T 2276/10 T 0038/11 T 0118/11 T 0168/11 T 0222/11 T 0359/11 T 0410/11 T 0424/11 T 0484/11 T 0564/11 T 0617/11 T 0823/11 T 0917/11 T 0971/11 T 1266/11 T 1326/11 T 1400/11 T 1467/11 T 1540/11 T 1816/11 T 1834/11 T 1852/11 T 1880/11 T 2082/11 T 2186/11 T 2197/11 T 2377/11 T 0233/12 T 0351/12 T 0544/12 T 0573/12 T 0807/12 T 0909/12 T 0945/12 T 0996/12 T 1150/12 T 1214/12 T 1357/12 T 1421/12 T 1648/12 T 1697/12 T 1788/12 T 1848/12 T 1849/12 T 1883/12 T 2340/12 T 2575/12 T 0115/13 T 0241/13 T 0259/13 T 0447/13 T 0516/13 T 0556/13 T 0608/13 T 0782/13 T 1043/13 T 1176/13 T 1271/13 T 1403/13 T 1490/13 T 1589/13 T 1717/13 T 1855/13 T 1856/13 T 1882/13 T 1929/13 T 2018/13 T 2342/13 T 2343/13 T 2415/13 T 2451/13 T 2469/13 T 0018/14 T 0034/14 T 0074/14 T 0492/14 T 0572/14 T 0691/14 T 0820/14 T 0918/14 T 1005/14 T 1089/14 T 1104/14 T 1105/14 T 1227/14 T 1267/14 T 1774/14 T 1930/14 T 2001/14 T 2068/14 T 2220/14 T 2324/14 T 0011/15 T 0021/15 T 0074/15 T 0089/15 T 0209/15 T 0473/15 T 0525/15 T 0738/15 T 0960/15 T 1501/15 T 1577/15 T 1777/15 T 2000/15 T 2026/15 T 2099/15 T 0043/16 T 0174/16 T 0382/16 T 0400/16 T 0491/16 T 0496/16 T 0626/16 T 0688/16 T 1013/16 T 1222/16 T 1548/16 T 1604/16 T 1711/16 T 1724/16 T 1920/16 T 2049/16 T 2401/16 T 2607/16 T 2707/16 T 2730/16 T 0002/17 T 0084/17 T 0104/17 T 0242/17 T 0349/17 T 0350/17 T 0411/17 T 0706/17 T 0776/17 T 0802/17 T 0805/17 T 0858/17 T 1379/17 T 1575/17 T 1592/17 T 1768/17 T 1965/17 T 2018/17 T 2182/17 T 2232/17 T 2395/17 T 2442/17 T 2558/17 T 2781/17 T 2799/17 T 0042/18 T 0122/18 T 0229/18 T 0666/18 T 0756/18 T 1027/18 T 1165/18 T 1270/18 T 1287/18 T 1437/18 T 1456/18 T 1599/18 T 1655/18 T 1673/18 T 1695/18 T 1766/18 T 1776/18 T 1888/18 T 1969/18 T 2195/18 T 2325/18 T 2350/18 T 2371/18 T 2505/18 T 2640/18 T 2669/18 T 2680/18 T 2702/18 T 2732/18 T 2964/18 T 3003/18 T 0085/19 T 0160/19 T 0258/19 T 0438/19 T 0462/19 T 0490/19 T 0494/19 T 0657/19 T 0934/19 T 1120/19 T 1206/19 T 1213/19 T 1219/19 T 1295/19 T 1558/19 T 1750/19 T 1869/19 T 1958/19 T 1984/19 T 2181/19 T 2349/19 T 2351/19 T 2716/19 T 3022/19 T 3212/19 T 0133/20 T 0499/20 T 0928/20 T 1138/20 T 1191/20 T 1435/20 T 1617/20 T 1624/20 T 1813/20 T 2055/20 T 0068/21 T 0222/21 T 0311/21 T 0740/21 T 1318/21 T 1332/21 T 1485/21 T 1670/21 T 1909/21 T 1919/21 T 2063/21 T 2169/21 T 2172/21 T 2180/21 T 2217/21 T 0205/22 T 0267/22 T 0291/22 T 0479/22 T 0697/22 T 0842/22 T 0856/22 T 1099/22 T 1359/22 T 1374/22 T 1512/22 T 1604/22 T 1758/22 T 1951/22 T 2036/22 T 2091/22 T 2108/22 T 2194/22 T 2536/22 T 0063/23 T 0209/23 T 0773/23 T 0777/23 T 0929/23 T 0931/23 T 0937/23 T 0981/23 T 0989/23 T 1103/23 T 1178/23 T 1341/23 T 1656/23 T 1996/23 T 2010/23 T 0146/24 T 0453/24 T 0580/24

ORDER

For these reasons, it is decided that:

The questions of law referred to the Enlarged Board of Appeal are to be answered as follows:

1. An approval of a notified text submitted by an applicant pursuant to Rule 51(4) EPC does not become binding once a communication in accordance with Rule 51(6) EPC has been issued. Following issue of such a communication under Rule 51(6) EPC and until issue of a decision to grant the patent, the Examining Division has a discretion under Rule 86(3) EPC, second sentence, whether or not to allow amendment of the application.

2. The European Patent Office is not obliged to consider reservations under Article 167(2) EPC as constituting requirements of the EPC which have to be met according to Article 96(2) EPC.