T 0896/21 (Network token/VISA) 29-09-2021
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NETWORK TOKEN SYSTEM
Visa International Service Association
Mastercard International Incorporated
1. The appellants contested the decision of the examining division of the European Patent Office dated 11 January 2021 refusing European patent application No. 14853006.6.
The appellants filed a notice of appeal on 18 March 2021 and paid the appeal fee on the same day.
The notice of appeal contains an auxiliary request for oral proceedings.
A written statement setting out the grounds of appeal was not filed within the four-month time limit provided for in Article 108 EPC. Nor did the notice of appeal contain anything that might be considered as such statement.
2. In a communication dated 25 June 2021, the Board informed the appellants that no statement setting out the grounds of appeal had been received and that the appeal could be expected to be rejected as inadmissible. The appellants were informed that any observations should be filed within two months.
3. The appellants filed no observations in response to said communication.
As no written statement setting out the grounds of appeal was filed within the time limit provided for in Article 108 EPC, the appeal is inadmissible pursuant to Rule 101(1)EPC.
For these reasons it is decided that:
The appeal is rejected as inadmissible.