G 0002/88 (Friction reducing additive) of 11.12.1989

European Case Law Identifier:

ECLI:EP:BA:1989:G000288.19891211

Date of decision:

11 December 1989

Case number:

G 0002/88

Referral:

Application number:

IPC class:

Language of proceedings:

EN

Distribution:

A

Download and more information:

Decision text in EN (PDF, 1Â MB)
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:

Mobil Oil III

Opponent name:

Chevron Research

Board:

EBA

Headnote:

I. A change of category of granted claims in opposition proceedings is not open to objection under Article 123(3) EPC, if it does not result in extension of the protection conferred by the claims as a whole, when they are interpreted in accordance with Article 69 EPC and its Protocol. In this context, the national laws of the Contracting States relating to infringement should not be considered.
2. An amendment of granted claims directed to "a compound" and to "a composition including such compound", so that the amended claims are directed to "the use of that compound in a composition" for a particular purpose, is not open to objection under Article 123(3) EPC.
3. A claim to the use of a known compound for a particular purpose, which is based on a technical effect which is described in the patent, should be interpreted as including that technical effect as a functional technical feature, and is accordingly not open to objection under Article 54(1) EPC provided that such technical feature has not previously been made available to the public.

Relevant legal provisions:

European Patent Convention 1973 Art 54
European Patent Convention 1973 Art 64
European Patent Convention 1973 Art 69
European Patent Convention 1973 Art 112(1)(a)
European Patent Convention 1973 Art 123

Keywords:

Amendment in opposition proceedings
Change of category (here: from "compound and "composition" to "use of compound for a partiular purpose")
Novelty of such a "use" claim over disclosure of same compound for different purpose
Second non-medical indication

Catchwords:

-

Cited decisions:

T 0012/81
T 0208/84
T 0231/85
T 0124/87
T 0303/88

Citing decisions:

G 0003/08
G 0002/12
G 0002/13
G 0003/14
T 0231/85
T 0175/86
T 0020/88
T 0361/88
T 0627/88
T 0243/89
T 0267/89
T 0329/89
T 0402/89
T 0774/89
T 0037/90
T 0162/90
T 0241/90
T 0242/90
T 0556/90
T 0578/90
T 0615/90
T 0938/90
T 0953/90
T 0958/90
T 0252/91
T 0879/91
T 0028/92
T 0267/92
T 0306/92
T 0327/92
T 0436/92
T 0472/92
T 0487/92
T 0509/92
T 0585/92
T 0741/92
T 0877/92
T 1072/92
T 0013/93
T 0032/93
T 0082/93
T 0206/93
T 0210/93
T 0254/93
T 0279/93
T 0295/93
T 0330/93
T 0738/93
T 0848/93
T 0977/93
T 1028/93
T 1070/93
T 0020/94
T 0025/94
T 0067/94
T 0140/94
T 0155/94
T 0262/94
T 0301/94
T 0329/94
T 0332/94
T 0442/94
T 0469/94
T 0504/94
T 0568/94
T 0682/94
T 0698/94
T 0722/94
T 0892/94
T 0134/95
T 0138/95
T 0150/95
T 0189/95
T 0277/95
T 0325/95
T 0337/95
T 0338/95
T 0391/95
T 0401/95
T 0457/95
T 0597/95
T 0706/95
T 0794/95
T 0838/95
T 0980/95
T 0003/96
T 0055/96
T 0080/96
T 0168/96
T 0169/96
T 0223/96
T 0250/96
T 0532/96
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T 0672/96
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T 0869/98
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T 0668/02
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T 0849/02
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T 0920/02
T 0977/02
T 1085/02
T 1090/02
T 0081/03
T 0093/03
T 0234/03
T 0413/03
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T 0520/03
T 0567/03
T 0573/03
T 0651/03
T 0701/03
T 0705/03
T 0794/03
T 0802/03
T 0956/03
T 1060/03
T 1172/03
T 1229/03
T 0060/04
T 0154/04
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T 0639/05
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T 0753/06
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T 1010/06
T 1139/06
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T 1190/06
T 1242/06
T 1553/06
T 1586/06
T 1614/06
T 1649/06
T 1652/06
T 1771/06
T 1855/06
T 0003/07
T 0170/07
T 0262/07
T 0271/07
T 0305/07
T 0382/07
T 0441/07
T 0654/07
T 0776/07
T 0783/07
T 0892/07
T 0985/07
T 1396/07
T 1797/07
T 1847/07
T 1898/07
T 0007/08
T 0238/08
T 0304/08
T 0491/08
T 0535/08
T 0547/08
T 1168/08
T 1328/08
T 1398/08
T 1414/08
T 1798/08
T 1859/08
T 1925/08
T 1960/08
T 2198/08
T 2215/08
T 2302/08
T 0022/09
T 0282/09
T 0428/09
T 0533/09
T 0560/09
T 0605/09
T 1039/09
T 1138/09
T 1292/09
T 1510/09
T 1635/09
T 1736/09
T 1789/09
T 1955/09
T 1968/09
T 2335/09
T 2352/09
T 2354/09
T 0043/10
T 0144/10
T 0154/10
T 0254/10
T 0270/10
T 0287/10
T 0302/10
T 0303/10
T 0336/10
T 0967/10
T 0971/10
T 1128/10
T 1383/10
T 1836/10
T 2522/10
T 0008/11
T 0049/11
T 0161/11
T 0249/11
T 0433/11
T 0719/11
T 1354/11
T 1513/11
T 1572/11
T 1673/11
T 2130/11
T 2149/11
T 2350/11
T 0114/12
T 0404/12
T 0649/12
T 0809/12
T 0879/12
T 1118/12
T 1364/12
T 1780/12
T 1822/12
T 1921/12
T 1954/12
T 1988/12
T 2035/12
T 2047/12
T 2186/12
T 2571/12
T 0151/13
T 0187/13
T 0268/13
T 0548/13
T 0627/13
T 0633/13
T 0815/13
T 0943/13
T 1085/13
T 1360/13
T 1634/13
T 2170/13
T 2191/13
T 0013/14
T 0015/14
T 0081/14
T 0201/14
T 0399/14
T 0552/14
T 0621/14
T 0875/14
T 1140/14
T 1180/14
T 1471/14
T 1539/14
T 1619/14
T 1714/14
T 1830/14
T 1931/14
T 1957/14
T 0023/15
T 0062/15
T 0087/15
T 0131/15
T 0825/15
T 0944/15
T 1101/15
T 1270/15
T 1317/15
T 1385/15
T 1720/15
T 2110/15
T 2299/15
T 0030/16
T 0444/16
T 0653/16
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T 0694/16
T 0840/16
T 1099/16
T 1159/16
T 1452/16
T 1645/16
T 2048/16
T 2243/16
T 0308/17
T 0523/17
T 0695/17
T 1832/17
T 1966/17
T 0467/18
T 0852/18
T 1338/18
T 0099/19
T 3272/19

Source: http://www.epo.org/law-practice/case-law-appeals/recent/g880002ex1.html

Date retrieved: 17 May 2021

246 references found. Limiting display to 200 references.

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EPC Articles

X A.54 EPC Novelty

X A.64 EPC Rights conferred by a European patent

X A.69 EPC Extent of protection

X A.112 EPC Decision or opinion of the Enlarged Board of Appeal

X A.123 EPC Amendments

EPO Guidelines Foreword

X GL FOREWORD 2.2 Abbreviations

EPO Guidelines - F The European Patent Application

X GL F IV 4.10 Result to be achieved

X GL F IV 4.16 Use claims

EPO Guidelines - G Patentability

X GL G IV 7.2.1 General principles

X GL G VI 7.1 First or further medical use of known products

X GL G VI 7.2 Second non-medical use

EPO Guidelines - H Amendments and Corrections

X GL H V 7.1 Product claim to use claim

Case Law Book: I Patentability

X CLR I A 1.2 Separate and independently patentability requirements

X CLR I A 2.2.1 Discoveries and scientific theories

X CLR I A 2.2.2 Mathematical methods

X CLR I C 4.4 Taking intrinsic features into account

X CLR I C 5.2.5 Functional features

X CLR I C 5.2.8 Non-technical distinguishing features

X CLR I C 6.2.4 Achieving a higher degree of purity

X CLR I C 7.2.3 Purpose-limited product claims and Swiss-type claims – scope of protection

X CLR I C 7.2.4.I Discovery of a previously unknown property of a compound underlying the known effect

X CLR I C 8.1.1 General issues decided before the Enlarged Board of Appeal

X CLR I C 8.1.2 Non-therapeutic treatment of animals

X CLR I C 8.1.3.A General

X CLR I C 8.1.3.B Different treatment of use and process claims

X CLR I C 8.1.3.D Use of a known process for a particular purpose

X CLR I C 8.1.3.E Discovery of new properties/technical effects underlying the known use

X CLR I C 8.1.3.F Use of a substance to achieve a technical effect only attained in special circumstances

X CLR I D 9.1.3.C Non-technical features and technical contribution

X CLR I E 1.1 Invention and industrial application

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

X CLR II A 1.1 Purpose of claims under Article 84 EPC

X CLR II A 1.2 Types of claim

X CLR II A 1.3 Technical features

X CLR II A 7.2 Requirement that the claimed product must be patentable

X CLR II C 7.2 Level of disclosure required for medical use – plausibility

X CLR II E 2.2 Totality of claims

X CLR II E 2.3.1 ‍‍Article 123(3) EPC and Article 69 EPC

X CLR II E 2.4.13 Replacement by aliud

X CLR II E 2.6 Change of claim category

X CLR II E 2.6.1.A Different categories of use claims

X CLR II E 2.6.1.B From product claim to a claim directed to using a product to achieve an effect

X CLR II E 2.6.1.C From product claim to a claim directed to using a product for producing another product – Article 64(2) EPC

X CLR II E 2.6.5 From use claim to process claim, and vice versa

X CLR II E 2.6.6 From use claim to Swiss-type claim

X CLR II F 5.2 Different subject-matter and scope of protection; overlapping subject-matter

Case Law Book: V Priority

X CLR V B 2.3.1 General

Case Law of the Enlarged Board

X G 0003/08 (Programs for computers) of 12.5.2010

X G 0002/12 () of 25.3.2015

X G 0002/13 () of 25.3.2015

X G 0003/14 () of 24.3.2015

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X T 0059/87 (Friction reducing additive/MOBIL II) of 26.4.1988

X T 0124/87 (Copolymers) of 9.8.1988

X T 0361/88 () of 21.6.1990

X T 0627/88 () of 4.7.1990

X T 0243/89 () of 2.7.1991

X T 0402/89 () of 12.8.1991

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X T 0083/05 (Broccoli/PLANT BIOSCIENCE) of 22.5.2007

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X T 0433/05 (Fusion Peptide Inhibitors/CONJUCHEM) of 14.6.2007

X T 0642/05 (Lichtschutzzubereitungen / BEIERSDORF) of 20.3.2007

X T 0646/05 () of 26.10.2007

X T 0729/05 (Glyphosate/MONSANTO) of 27.6.2007

X T 0406/06 (Stimulation of beta cell proliferation/NOVO NORDISK) of 16.1.2008

X T 0514/06 () of 11.2.2009

X T 0699/06 (Morphogenesis/STRYKER) of 29.6.2010

X T 1139/06 (Preparation of Microcapsules/QUADRANT DRUG DELIVERY LTD.) of 19.2.2009

X T 1167/06 () of 26.7.2007

X T 1242/06 (Tomatoes II/STATE OF ISRAEL) of 31.5.2012

X T 1553/06 (Public availability of documents on the World Wide Web/PHILIPS) of 12.3.2012

X T 1652/06 (Treatment of portal Hypertension/SUCAMPO AG) of 12.3.2008

X T 1771/06 (Engineered potato/BASF) of 7.2.2008

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X T 0305/07 (Trisulfides/PFIZER) of 20.5.2011

X T 0382/07 (Etheric oils/D & W TRADING) of 26.9.2008

X T 0776/07 () of 2.4.2009

X T 1898/07 (Interferon Formulations/BIOGEN) of 17.6.2010

X T 0304/08 (Method for reducing malodor/BASF) of 26.8.2009

X T 0491/08 (Improved immunogenicity/GOVERNMENT USA) of 21.10.2010

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X T 1859/08 (Anti-ErbB2 antibodies/GENENTECH, INC.) of 5.6.2012

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X T 0022/09 (Fischer-Tropsch Catalysts/ Sasol) of 5.2.2016

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