T 0962/98 (Antimicrobial additives/ECOLAB) of 15.1.2004

European Case Law Identifier: ECLI:EP:BA:2004:T096298.20040115
Date of decision: 15 January 2004
Case number: T 0962/98
Application number: 94931395.1
IPC class: C10M 173/02
Language of proceedings: EN
Distribution: B
Download and more information:
Decision text in EN (PDF, 31 KB)
Documentation of the appeal procedure can be found in the Register
Bibliographic information is available in: EN
Versions: Unpublished
Title of application: Particulate suspending antimicrobial additives
Applicant name: ECOLAB INC.
Opponent name: -
Board: 3.3.01
Headnote: -
Relevant legal provisions:
European Patent Convention 1973 Art 123(2)
Keywords: Main and first auxiliary request: support in the application as filed (no) - inadmissible generalization of an example
Catchwords:

There may exist situations where some characteristics taken from a working example may be combined with other features disclosed in a more general context without necessarily creating an objectionable intermediate generalization. However, under Article 123(2) EPC, such an intermediate generalization is only admissible if the skilled person can recognize without any doubt from the application as filed that those characteristics are not closely related to the other characteristics of the working example and apply directly and unambiguously to the more general context. In other terms, in order to be acceptable, this intermediate generalization must be the result of unambiguous information that a skilled person would draw from the review of the example and the content of the application as filed (cf. point 2.5).

Cited decisions:
-
Citing decisions:
T 0461/05
T 1566/05
T 1790/06
T 0066/07
T 0405/07
T 0775/07
T 0792/07
T 0714/08
T 1144/08
T 0313/09
T 0879/09
T 2185/10
T 2434/10
T 0500/11
T 1644/11
T 1699/11
T 1840/11
T 0558/13
T 0560/13
T 0625/13
T 2313/13
T 0505/14
T 0992/14
T 1002/14
T 0978/15
T 1585/15
T 1753/16

19 references found.

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Offical Journal of the EPO

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

General Case Law