T 0594/01 (Alkylene glycols/SHELL) of 30.3.2004

European Case Law Identifier:

ECLI:EP:BA:2004:T059401.20040330

Date of decision:

30 March 2004

Case number:

T 0594/01

Application number:

95907004.6

IPC class:

C07C 29/10

Language of proceedings:

Distribution:

Download and more information:

Decision text in EN (PDF, 53Â KB)
Documentation of the appeal procedure can be found in the Register
Bibliographic information is available in:	EN
Versions:	Unpublished

Title of application:

Process for the preparation of alkylene glycols

Applicant name:

SHELL INTERNATIONALE RESEARCH MAATSCHAPPIJ B.V.

Opponent name:

THE DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY

Board:

3.3.01

Headnote:

Relevant legal provisions:

European Patent Convention 1973 Art 54
European Patent Convention 1973 Art 56
European Patent Convention 1973 Art 123(3)

Keywords:

Main request, first to third auxiliary request: novelty (no) - upper end of a range value overlapping the margin of uncertainty inherently associated with a prior disclosed experimental value
Fourth and fifth auxiliary request: inventive step (no) obvious solution

Catchwords:

An experimental value in quantitative analytical chemistry cannot be dissociated from the margin of uncertainty attached to the measurement. When a specific experimental value is disclosed in an example of the prior art, seeking to distinguish the claimed subject-matter therefrom only in terms of an upper limit required to be "lower than" the experimental value must fail as the claimed subject-matter is still not distinguishable from the prior art within the margin of experimental error.

Cited decisions:

Citing decisions: