T 1067/08 (High-activity phytase/BASF SE) of 10.2.2011

European Case Law Identifier: ECLI:EP:BA:2011:T106708.20110210
Date of decision: 10 February 2011
Case number: T 1067/08
Application number: 98934912.1
IPC class: C12N 9/00
Language of proceedings: EN
Distribution: B
Download and more information:
Decision text in EN (PDF, 50 KB)
Documentation of the appeal procedure can be found in the Register
Bibliographic information is available in: EN
Versions: Unpublished
Title of application: High-activity phytase granulate
Applicant name: BASF SE
Opponent name: Syngenta Limited, European Regional Centre
NOVOZYMES A/S
AB Enzymes GmbH
Finnfeeds International Ltd
Board: 3.3.09
Headnote: -
Relevant legal provisions:
European Patent Convention Art 113(2)
European Patent Convention Art 123(2)
European Patent Convention R 116
Rules of procedure of the Boards of Appeal Art 12(4)
Keywords: Main request identical to sole request not admitted in opposition proceedings - not admitted (abuse of procedure)
Auxiliary requests - not admitted (withdrawn/should have been filed in first instance proceedings)
Catchwords:

Exercise of the powers under Article 12(4) RPBA is not conditional upon a party's conducting itself in bad faith or in a manner necessitating adjournment of the oral proceedings (points 3 and 5.3). Neither a party nor the department of first instance is at liberty to bring about the shifting of a case to the second instance as it pleases; such "forum shopping" would jeopardise the proper distribution of functions between the departments of first instance and the boards of appeal. Exercise of those powers may also be justified where a party's conduct - e.g. maintaining a single request which the opposition division had declined to admit into the proceedings as an abuse of procedure, and refusing to file amended and/or auxiliary requests - has in effect prevented the department of first instance from giving a reasoned decision on the critical issues, thereby compelling the board of appeal either to give a first ruling on those issues or to remit the case to the department of first instance (points 7.2 and 8.1).

Cited decisions:
G 0009/91
G 0010/91
G 0007/93
T 0123/85
T 0382/97
T 0064/02
T 0933/04
T 0339/06
T 1705/07
Citing decisions:
T 0936/09
T 0028/10
T 0495/10
T 1125/10
T 0134/11
T 0159/11
T 0167/11
T 0484/11
T 1400/11
T 2244/11
T 0169/12
T 0247/12
T 0419/12
T 0432/12
T 0935/12
T 0936/12
T 1275/12
T 1689/12
T 1848/12
T 2528/12
T 0163/13
T 1558/13
T 2508/13
T 2017/14
T 0341/15
T 2177/15
T 2344/15
T 0266/16
T 0320/16
T 0445/16
T 1629/16
T 2730/16
T 0373/18

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