T 0331/87 (Removal of feature) of 6.7.1989

European Case Law Identifier:

ECLI:EP:BA:1989:T033187.19890706

Date of decision:

06 July 1989

Case number:

T 0331/87

Application number:

IPC class:

B21D 28/24
B23K 26/00

Language of proceedings:

EN

Distribution:

A

Download and more information:

Decision text in EN (PDF, 505Â KB)
Documentation of the appeal procedure can be found in the Register
Bibliographic information is available in:	EN
Versions:	OJ \| Published

Title of application:

-

Applicant name:

Houdaille

Opponent name:

Voest-Alpine

Board:

3.2.02

Headnote:

The replacement or removal of a feature from a claim may not violate Article 123(2) EPC provided the skilled person would directly and unambiguously recognise that (1) the feature was not explained as essential in the disclosure, (2) it is not, as such, indispensable for the function of the invention in the light of the technical problem it serves to solve, and (3) the replacement or removal requires no real modification of other features to compensate for the change (cf. point 6 of the Reasons; following Decision T 260/85, "Coaxial connector/AMP" OJ EPO 1989, 105).

Relevant legal provisions:

European Patent Convention 1973 Art 100(c)
European Patent Convention 1973 Art 123(2)

Keywords:

Amendment during prosecution
Deletion of inessential feature allowed

Catchwords:

-

Cited decisions:

-

Citing decisions:

T 0136/88
T 0527/88
T 0392/89
T 0060/90
T 0147/90
T 0225/90
T 0386/90
T 0685/90
T 0688/90
T 0691/90
T 0860/90
T 0064/91
T 0319/91
T 0553/91
T 0269/92
T 0441/92
T 0545/92
T 0623/92
T 0758/92
T 0374/93
T 0673/93
T 0058/94
T 0542/94
T 0592/94
T 0396/95
T 0482/95
T 0625/95
T 0763/95
T 0052/96
T 0290/96
T 0442/96
T 0487/96
T 0538/96
T 0604/96
T 0965/96
T 0518/97
T 0740/97
T 1074/97
T 1221/97
T 0221/98
T 0765/98
T 1040/98
T 0320/99
T 0329/99
T 0473/99
T 0695/99
T 0713/99
T 0764/99
T 1103/99
T 0743/00
T 1057/00
T 0220/01
T 0445/01
T 0746/01
T 0892/01
T 1082/01
T 1227/01
T 0284/02
T 0720/02
T 0797/02
T 1158/02
T 0241/03
T 0404/03
T 0910/03
T 1202/03
T 0238/04
T 0262/04
T 0958/04
T 1227/04
T 0690/05
T 1291/05
T 1562/05
T 0020/06
T 0308/06
T 1091/06
T 0405/07
T 0465/07
T 0708/07
T 0765/07
T 0775/07
T 1054/07
T 1140/07
T 1785/07
T 1866/07
T 0239/08
T 0407/08
T 0800/08
T 1920/08
T 2135/08
T 2202/08
T 0209/09
T 0582/09
T 0689/09
T 0795/09
T 1600/09
T 2285/09
T 2330/09
T 0207/10
T 0405/10
T 0648/10
T 0747/10
T 1118/10
T 1643/10
T 2282/10
T 2311/10
T 1345/11
T 1840/11
T 2347/11
T 2561/11
T 0219/12
T 0755/12
T 1137/12
T 2095/12
T 2599/12
T 1852/13
T 1151/14
T 1461/14
T 1462/14
T 0553/15
T 1420/15
T 1472/15
T 0085/16
T 0515/16
T 0830/16
T 0833/16
T 1189/16
T 1365/16
T 2351/16
T 0437/17
T 1193/19

Source: http://www.epo.org/law-practice/case-law-appeals/recent/t870331ex1.html

Date retrieved: 17 May 2021

51 references found.

Click X to load a reference inside the current page, click on the title to open in a new page.

Offical Journal of the EPO

X OJ EPO SE 1/2021, p179 - Annex 1 - Index of published decisions of the boards of appeal and the Enlarged Board of Appeal - (as at 31 December 2020)

X OJ EPO SE 1/2020, p174 - Annex 1 - Index of published decisions of the boards of appeal and the Enlarged Board of Appeal - (as at 31 December 2019)

X OJ EPO SE 1/2019, p158 - XVI. - Index of published decisions of the boards of appeal and the Enlarged Board of Appeal - (as at 31 December 2018)

X OJ EPO SE 3/2018, p91 - ANNEX 2

X OJ EPO SE 3/2018, p2 - BOARDS OF APPEAL AND ENLARGED BOARD OF APPEAL CASE LAW 2017

X OJ EPO SE 2/2015, p89 - III. CLAIMS

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

X CLR II E 1.4.2 Basis in the application as originally filed – gold standard

X CLR II E 1.4.4.A Decisions setting out and applying the test

X CLR II E 1.4.4.B Mere aid in assessing the allowability of amendments

X CLR II E 1.4.4.C Decisions criticising the three-point test

General Case Law

X T 0136/88 () of 11.10.1989

X T 0527/88 () of 11.12.1990

X T 0392/89 () of 3.7.1990

X T 0685/90 () of 30.1.1992

X T 0441/92 (Divisional application/MOTOROLA, INC.) of 10.3.1995

X T 0545/92 (Gas desulfurization/BABCOCK-HITACHI) of 25.1.1994

X T 0758/92 () of 20.5.1994

X T 0542/94 () of 7.5.1996

X T 0482/95 () of 28.8.1995

X T 1074/97 (Rapamycin prodrugs/KANSAS UNIVERSITY) of 20.3.2003

X T 1221/97 () of 13.10.1998

X T 1040/98 () of 24.6.1999

X T 0320/99 (Auxiliary request/NEC) of 26.9.2002

X T 0329/99 (Polyolefin Recycle/SOUTHERN RESEARCH) of 5.4.2001

X T 0473/99 () of 22.10.2002

X T 0892/01 (Treatment of wrinkles/VAN SCOTT, EUGENE J. Dr.) of 7.11.2005

X T 0404/03 (Doubles detection/CUMMINS-ALLISON) of 12.7.2006

X T 0910/03 () of 7.7.2005

X T 0708/07 () of 14.4.2010

X T 0775/07 () of 7.4.2009

X T 1785/07 () of 21.10.2008

X T 0407/08 () of 12.10.2009

X T 2135/08 () of 15.12.2011

X T 2202/08 () of 6.9.2011

X T 0689/09 () of 24.11.2010

X T 2285/09 (Use of an extract from the leaves of Olea Europaea/B & T) of 20.1.2011

X T 0648/10 () of 11.5.2011

X T 0747/10 () of 13.4.2011

X T 1643/10 (Bus architecture/RAMBUS) of 26.11.2014

X T 2311/10 () of 24.9.2012

X T 1840/11 () of 13.11.2015

X T 2347/11 (Dynamic random access memory/RAMBUS) of 16.10.2012

X T 2561/11 () of 4.7.2016

X T 0755/12 () of 23.1.2014

X T 2095/12 () of 27.9.2017

X T 2599/12 () of 5.5.2017

X T 1852/13 () of 31.1.2017

X T 0553/15 () of 17.9.2018

X T 1472/15 () of 14.6.2017

X T 0830/16 () of 15.1.2018

X T 2351/16 () of 27.6.2018