T 0619/02 (Odour selection/QUEST INTERNATIONAL) of 22.3.2006

European Case Law Identifier: ECLI:EP:BA:2006:T061902.20060322
Date of decision: 22 March 2006
Case number: T 0619/02
Application number: 97943057.6
IPC class: G09B 19/00
Language of proceedings: EN
Distribution: A
Download and more information:
Decision text in EN (PDF, 105 KB)
Documentation of the appeal procedure can be found in the Register
Bibliographic information is available in: EN
Versions: OJ | Published
Title of application: Odour evaluation method
Applicant name: QUEST INTERNATIONAL B.V.
Opponent name: -
Board: 3.4.02
Headnote: 1. The perceptual processes taking place in the mind of a test person presented with odours in an odour selection test do not constitute mental acts within the meaning of Article 52(2)(c) EPC (point 2.1 of the reasons). Nonetheless, human perception phenomena cannot be qualified as being of a technical nature (point 2.3.2).
2. The prerequisite of technical character inherent to the EPC cannot be considered to be fulfilled by an invention, as claimed, which, although possibly encompassing technical embodiments, also encompasses ways of implementing it that do not qualify as technical (point 2.2).
3. The technical character of an invention is an inherent attribute independent of the actual contribution of the invention to the state of the art and consequently the potential of a claimed method to solve a problem of a technical nature should be discernible from the aspects of the method actually claimed (point 2.6.1).
4. Neither the fact that the result of a method may be usable in a technical or in an industrial activity, nor the fact that the result may be qualified as being useful, practical or saleable expresses a sufficient condition to establish the technical character of the result of the method or of the method itself (point 2.6.2).
5. If, apart from a possibly commercially promising but purely aesthetic or emotional and therefore technically arbitrary effect, the distinguishing features of an invention over the closest state of the art do not, in the context of the claimed invention, perform any technical function or achieve any technical effect, no specific objective problem of a technical nature can be considered to be solved by the invention (points 4.2.1 and 4.2.2).
Relevant legal provisions:
European Patent Convention 1973 Art 52(1)
European Patent Convention 1973 Art 52(2)
European Patent Convention 1973 Art 52(2)(c)
European Patent Convention 1973 Art 52(3)
European Patent Convention 1973 Art 54
European Patent Convention 1973 Art 56
European Patent Convention 1973 Art 57
European Patent Convention 1973 Art 64(2)
Keywords: Methods of odour selection: only mental acts (no) - business methods (no) - technical character (no: methods devoid of technical aspects, non-technical aesthetic selection)
Methods of making perfumed product having selected odour: technical character (yes) - inventive step (no: no objective problem of technical nature solved over the prior art)
Catchwords:

-

Cited decisions:
G 0002/88
T 0022/85
T 0038/86
T 0378/86
T 0366/87
T 0579/88
T 0456/90
T 0854/90
T 0833/91
T 1032/93
T 0953/94
T 0072/95
T 0931/95
T 0027/97
T 0157/97
T 0158/97
T 0176/97
T 0258/97
T 1177/97
T 0641/00
T 0914/02
T 1121/02
T 0172/03
T 0258/03
T 0531/03
T 0388/04
Citing decisions:
G 0001/19
T 0154/04
T 1212/04
T 0471/05
T 0930/05
T 0530/07
T 1410/07
T 1793/07
T 1741/08
T 0042/10
T 1117/10
T 1281/10
T 0625/11
T 0797/11
T 1779/13
T 0888/14
T 1491/14
T 1396/15
T 0280/16
T 2379/16

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EPO Guidelines - G Patentability

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