Decisions discussed in the Case Law Report 2018/2019

I.

PATENTABILITY

A.

Exceptions to patentability

1.

Patentability of biological inventions

G 3/19 14.05.20

2

2.

Product claims for plants or plant material

T 1063/18 3.3.04 05.12.18

4

3.

Medical methods

3.1

"Treatment by surgery" in the case law since G 1/07

T 2699/17 3.2.08 22.01.19

6

3.2

Apparatus claim – disguised method claim?

T 1731/12 3.4.01 15.02.19

7

B.

Novelty

1.

Common general knowledge

1.1

Specialist journals as common general knowledge

T 1727/14 3.2.05 13.12.18

9

2.

Availability to the public

2.1

Public prior use – internal structure or composition of a product

T 1833/14 3.3.03 07.12.17

T 1409/16 3.3.06 19.04.18

9

10

2.2

The concept of "the public" – public library

T 1050/12 3.3.01 22.01.18

11

2.3

Public availability of documents submitted for standardisation

T 2239/15 3.4.01 19.06.19

11

3.

Determining the content of the relevant prior art

3.1

Taking implicit features into account

T 1456/14 3.2.04 15.06.18

13

4.

Ascertaining differences

4.1

Functional features

T 1931/14 3.2.04 21.02.18

13

5.

Chemical inventions and selection inventions

5.1

Achieving a higher degree of purity

T 1085/13 3.3.02 09.11.18

14

6.

First and second medical use – new therapeutic application based on the group of subjects to be treated

T 694/16 3.3.09 15.05.19

15

7.

Second (or further) non-medical method – novelty criteria for product claims with purpose characteristics

T 116/14 3.4.03 26.03.19

16

C.

Inventive step

1.

Problem and solution approach

T 1761/12 3.4.01 19.12.17

16

2.

Determination of closest prior art in general

T 2101/12 3.5.06 24.01.18

17

3.

Assessment of inventive step

3.1

Treatment of technical and non-technical features

T 2079/10 3.5.01 19.04.18

T 1082/13 3.5.01 31.01.19

T 817/16 3.5.07 10.01.19

17

18

18

3.2

Problem and solution approach when applied to "mixed" inventions

T 144/11 3.5.01 14.08.18

20

3.3

Mental activities based on data visualisation

T 489/14 3.5.07 22.02.19

21

3.4

Examples of lack of inventive step – selection from obvious alternatives

T 1045/12 3.5.06 23.10.18

22

II.

PATENT APPLICATION AND AMENDMENTS

A.

Claims

1.

Interpretation of ambiguous terms or confirmation of the text of a claim

T 1409/16 3.3.06 19.04.18

23

B.

Unity of invention

1.

Assessment of lack of unity and of requests for refund of further search fees in examination proceedings

T 756/14 3.4.01 21.09.18

23

C.

Sufficiency of disclosure

1.

Clarity and completeness of disclosure

1.1

Parameters

T 1845/14 3.3.03 08.11.18

T 54/17 3.5.01 16.08.18

24

26

2.

Reproducibility without undue burden

2.1

Occasional failure

T 383/14 3.2.04 13.06.18

27

3.

The requirement of sufficiency of disclosure in the biotechnology field

3.1

Deposit of living material

T 1338/12 3.3.08 14.12.18

28

4.

The relationship between Article 83 and Article 84 EPC

4.1

Article 83 EPC and clarity of claims

T 250/15 3.2.05 20.07.18

T 1305/15 3.3.02 09.07.18

29

30

5.

Evidence

T 2340/12 3.4.01 15.03.18

30

D.

Priority

1.

Right of priority of the applicant

T 725/14 3.3.02 21.01.19

T 924/15 3.3.02 21.01.19

31

31

2.

First application in respect of the invention

2.1

Identity of invention

T 1662/14 3.2.02 21.02.19

33

3.

Multiple priorities or partial priority for one claim

3.1

Application of G 1/15 in the jurisprudence of the boards

T 437/14 3.3.09 17.10.16

34

E.

Amendments

1.

Extension beyond the content of the application as filed – "US-style" dependencies

T 1362/15 3.2.06 08.10.19

35

2.

Disclaimers

2.1

Accidental anticipation

T 1218/14 3.3.02 08.02.19

37

2.2

Undisclosed disclaimer must not be related to the teaching of the invention

G 1/16 18.12.17

T 660/14 3.2.06 09.01.18

T 437/14 3.3.09 12.03.19

37

37

34

3.

Extension of the protection conferred

3.1

Article 123(3) EPC and Article 69 EPC

T 131/15 3.4.03 10.10.19

39

3.2

Replacement of drawings

T 1360/13 3.2.02 21.09.18

40

3.3

Change of claim category

T 1830/14 3.4.03 07.06.19

41

F.

Divisional applications

1.

Request to postpone decision concerning the earlier European patent application

T 592/15 3.3.05 26.11.18

42

2.

Double patenting

2.1

Referral decision

T 318/14 3.3.01 07.02.19

43

2.2

Same subject-matter claimed

T 2563/11 3.3.01 05.09.17

43

III.

RULES COMMON TO ALL PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE EPO

A.

The principle of the protection of legitimate expectations

1.

Knowledge of the relevant legal provisions and the case law

T 590/18 3.2.08 04.07.18

45

2.

Obligation to draw attention to easily remediable deficiencies

T 703/19 3.2.08 07.08.19

45

B.

Right to be heard

1.

Decision must demonstrably show that arguments were heard and considered

T 655/13 3.5.04 18.06.18

46

2.

No obligation to address each and every argument

T 448/16 3.2.04 23.05.19

47

3.

The requirement of a text agreed by the applicant

T 1227/14 3.2.05 12.07.17

T 861/16 3.2.01 11.09.18

47

48

C.

Oral proceedings

1.

Right to oral proceedings in examination, opposition and appeal proceedings

G 2/19 16.07.19

48

2.

Preparation of oral proceedings – fixing or changing the date for oral proceedings

T 447/13 3.4.03 05.02.18

50

D.

Time limits, further processing and interruption of proceedings

1.

Date of receipt of documents transmitted by fax

T 858/18 3.5.02 20.05.19

T 2307/15 3.2.07 11.09.19

51

51

2.

Interruption of proceedings because of insolvency (Rule 142(1)(b) EPC)

T 54/17 3.5.01 16.08.18

T 1389/18 3.4.03 17.12.18

52

53

E.

Re-establishment of rights

1.

Date the error ought to have been noticed is decisive

T 198/16 3.5.04 20.03.18

54

F.

Languages

1.

Derogations from the language of the proceedings in oral proceedings

T 1895/13 3.5.01 17.01.19

55

G.

Formal aspects of decisions of EPO departments

1.

Form of decisions

1.1

Signatures on a decision under Rule 113 EPC

J 16/17 3.1.01 12.07.18

56

1.2

Deficient reasoning insufficient for the purposes of Rule 111(2) EPC

T 655/13 3.5.04 18.06.18

56

H.

Inspection of files, European Patent Register and stay of proceedings

1.

Stay of proceedings under Rule 14(1) EPC

T 1473/13 3.5.04 24.01.19

57

2.

Rule 14(3) EPC

J 4/17 3.1.01 16.05.18

58

I.

Intervention

1.

Admissibility

1.1

National infringement proceedings

T 1746/15 3.2.07 13.11.17

T 439/17 3.4.03 07.05.19

58

59

J.

Apportionment of costs

T 280/15 3.2.04 07.03.19

T 2313/15 3.2.04 13.05.19

59

60

K.

Notifications

1.

Notification by postal services

T 1596/14 3.2.05 19.11.18

61

IV.

PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE DEPARTMENTS OF FIRST INSTANCE

A.

Examination procedure

1.

Decisions with no text submitted or agreed by the applicant (Article 113(2) EPC)

T 2081/16 3.5.03 15.11.18

T 1003/19 3.3.05 30.08.19

62

63

2.

Amendments and corrections requested according to Rule 71(6) EPC

T 1567/17 3.5.04 13.02.18

64

3.

Additional search necessary: limited discretion of the examining division

T 1895/13 3.5.01 17.01.19

64

B.

Opposition procedure

1.

Filing and admissibility requirements – sufficient substantiation of grounds for opposition

T 623/18 3.5.06 07.01.19

T 2037/18 3.2.01 16.10.19

T 16/14 3.5.02 25.01.19

65

65

67

2.

Late submission

2.1

Concept of "in due time"

T 1551/14 3.2.05 27.11.18

68

2.2

Exercise of discretion - prima facie relevance

T 1525/17 3.2.01 23.05.19

69

2.3

New argument versus new chain of reasoning

T 2053/13 3.3.01 05.04.18

69

3.

Amendments in opposition proceedings

3.1

Time frame for filing amendments – discretion of the opposition division

T 802/17 3.2.06 05.10.18

T 368/16 3.3.06 06.05.19

T 688/16 3.2.04 22.07.19

70

71

71

3.2

Scope of examination of amendment

T 1437/15 3.2.04 04.03.19

72

V.

PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE BOARDS OF APPEAL

A.

Appeal procedure

1.

Filing and admissibility of the appeal

1.1

Party adversely affected (Article 107 EPC)

T 611/15 3.5.02 10.10.17

73

1.2

Appeal filed within the time limit – correction of error

T 317/19 3.5.04 22.10.19

73

1.3

Statement of grounds of appeal

1.3.1

Content of the statement of grounds of appeal

T 1904/14 3.5.02 04.07.19

74

1.3.2

References to submissions made at first instance

T 16/14 3.5.02 25.01.19

75

2.

Facts under examination – applying Article 114 EPC in appeal proceedings

2.1

Fresh ground for opposition on appeal

T 184/17 3.2.04 23.10.19

76

2.2

The board need not examine facts of its own motion

T 2501/11 3.5.01 10.10.17

77

3.

Review of first-instance discretionary decisions

3.1

Submissions admitted at first instance – part of the appeal proceedings

T 1227/14 3.2.05 12.07.17

T 1525/17 3.2.01 23.05.19

78

78

4.

New submissions on appeal

4.1

Amendments after arrangement of the oral proceedings

T 156/15 3.3.07 27.02.18

T 656/16 3.2.04 06.12.18

78

79

4.2

Communication of a board of appeal

T 2072/16 3.5.05 03.07.19

79

4.3

Late submission of new arguments, objections and lines of attack in appeal proceedings

T 1914/12 3.2.05 13.06.18

T 47/18 3.3.05 06.02.19

T 603/14 3.5.02 04.09.19

80

81

82

4.4

Article 12(4) RPBA 2007

4.4.1

Broadening of claims considered by the opposition division

T 1719/13 3.3.05 14.11.17

T 1467/13 3.2.04 06.06.18

83

83

4.4.2

Resubmission of requests withdrawn at opposition stage

T 52/15 3.3.09 04.04.19

T 1695/14 3.5.02 17.07.19

84

85

4.5

Converging or diverging versions of claims

T 1280/14 3.2.05 23.03.18

86

5.

Reimbursement of appeal fees

5.1

Appeal deemed not to have been filed or inadmissible appeal

G 1/18 18.07.19

87

5.2

Violation must be of a procedural nature

T 683/14 3.5.04 04.12.18

89

5.3

Error of judgement by a department of first instance

T 658/12 3.5.01 18.10.18

90

5.4

Excessive length of proceedings

T 2340/13 3.5.03 29.05.18

T 2707/16 3.5.07 11.12.18

T 2377/17 3.5.07 03.12.18

T 2699/17 3.2.08 22.01.19

90

90

91

91

5.5

Violation of the principle of the protection of legitimate expectations

T 613/14 3.3.02 11.01.19

92

5.6

Withdrawal of appeal under Rule 103(2) EPC

T 265/14 3.3.05 03.07.18

93

B.

Proceedings before the Enlarged Board of Appeal

1.

Article 112a(1) EPC – adversely affected party entitled to file a petition for review

R 4/18  10.10.18

93

2.

Time limit for filing a petition for review

R 1/18 30.09.19

94

3.

No opportunity to comment, surprising reasons

R 6/18 20.02.19

95

4.

Article 112a(2)(a) EPC – alleged breach of Article 24 EPC

R 3/16 06.10.17

95

5.

Article 112a(2)(c) EPC – alleged fundamental violation of Article 113 EPC

R 8/16 10.07.17

96

6.

No right to a further hearing at first instance

R 7/16 10.07.17

97

7.

Successful petitions under Article 112a(2)(c) EPC

R 4/17 29.01.18

98