T 0593/09 () of 20.12.2011

European Case Law Identifier: ECLI:EP:BA:2011:T059309.20111220
Date of decision: 20 December 2011
Case number: T 0593/09
Application number: 97915703.9
IPC class: B32B 15/08
Language of proceedings: EN
Distribution: B
Download and more information:
Decision text in EN (PDF, 107 KB)
Documentation of the appeal procedure can be found in the Register
Bibliographic information is available in: EN
Versions: Unpublished
Title of application: Polyethylene terephthalate resin-coated metal plate of high processability
Applicant name: TOYO KOHAN Co., Ltd
Opponent name: Tata Steel IJmuiden BV
Board: 3.3.09
Headnote: -
Relevant legal provisions:
European Patent Convention Art 100(b)
Keywords: Sufficiency of disclosure - no (main and auxiliary requests)
Catchwords:

Where a claim contains an ill-defined ("unclear", "ambiguous") parameter and where, as a consequence, the skilled person would not know whether he was working within or outside of the scope of the claim, this, by itself, is not a reason to deny sufficiency of disclosure as required by Article 83 EPC. Nor is such a lack of clear definition necessarily a matter for objection under Article 84 EPC only. What is decisive for establishing insufficiency within the meaning of Article 83 EPC is whether the parameter, in the specific case, is so ill-defined that the skilled person is not able, on the basis of the disclosure as a whole and using his common general knowledge, to identify (without undue burden) the technical measures (eg selection of suitable compounds) necessary to solve the problem underlying the patent at issue (point 4.1.4 of the Reasons)

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42 references found.

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EPC Articles

EPO Guidelines - F The European Patent Application

Offical Journal of the EPO

Case Law Book: II Conditions to be met by an Application

General Case Law