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T 0258/03 (Auction method/HITACHI) of 21.4.2004

European Case Law Identifier:

ECLI:EP:BA:2004:T025803.20040421

Date of decision:

21 April 2004

Case number:

T 0258/03

Application number:

IPC class:

Language of proceedings:

EN

Distribution:

A

Download and more information:

Decision text in EN (PDF, 45Â KB)
Documentation of the appeal procedure can be found in the Register
Bibliographic information is available in:	EN
Versions:	OJ \| Published

Title of application:

Automatic auction method

Applicant name:

Hitachi, Ltd.

Opponent name:

-

Board:

3.5.01

Headnote:

I. A method involving technical means is an invention within the meaning of Article 52(1) EPC (as distinguished from decision T 931/95-Controlling pension benefits system/PBS PARTNERSHIP)(see points 4.1 to 4.4 of the reasons).
II. Method steps consisting of modifications to a business scheme and aimed at circumventing a technical problem rather than solving it by technical means cannot contribute to the technical character of the subject-matter claimed (see point 5.7 of the reasons).

Relevant legal provisions:

European Patent Convention 1973 Art 52(1)
European Patent Convention 1973 Art 52(2)
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

Keywords:

Presence of an invention - method involving technical means (yes)
Inventive step: treatment of non-technical aspects

Catchwords:

-

Cited decisions:

T 0052/85
T 0026/86
T 0038/86
T 0769/92
T 0931/95
T 1173/97
T 0641/00

Citing decisions:

G 0002/07
G 0001/08
G 0003/08
G 0001/19
T 0619/02
T 0914/02
T 0411/03
T 0424/03
T 0425/03
T 0467/03
T 0468/03
T 0469/03
T 0531/03
T 0928/03
T 0958/03
T 1043/03
T 0049/04
T 0125/04
T 0154/04
T 0387/04
T 0388/04
T 0476/04
T 0872/04
T 1242/04
T 1284/04
T 1351/04
T 0279/05
T 0471/05
T 0588/05
T 0656/05
T 0688/05
T 0912/05
T 0920/05
T 0930/05
T 1227/05
T 1416/05
T 1568/05
T 0164/06
T 0421/06
T 0658/06
T 0740/06
T 0784/06
T 0956/06
T 1023/06
T 1097/06
T 1171/06
T 1326/06
T 1543/06
T 1658/06
T 1672/06
T 1704/06
T 1749/06
T 1784/06
T 1873/06
T 1930/06
T 0336/07
T 0384/07
T 0494/07
T 0530/07
T 0859/07
T 1044/07
T 1418/07
T 1686/07
T 1793/07
T 1806/07
T 1814/07
T 1875/07
T 0012/08
T 0506/08
T 1954/08
T 0042/09
T 0804/09
T 0844/09
T 1265/09
T 1358/09
T 1539/09
T 1547/09
T 1883/09
T 0120/10
T 0313/10
T 0674/10
T 1036/10
T 1225/10
T 1842/10
T 1940/10
T 2096/10
T 2230/10
T 2258/10
T 2530/10
T 0188/11
T 0483/11
T 0551/11
T 0625/11
T 0631/11
T 1072/11
T 1083/11
T 1321/11
T 1393/11
T 2217/11
T 0022/12
T 0283/12
T 0414/12
T 0436/12
T 0651/12
T 0744/12
T 1331/12
T 1498/12
T 1896/12
T 1936/12
T 2049/12
T 2321/12
T 2491/12
T 0005/13
T 0930/13
T 0934/13
T 1082/13
T 1884/13
T 1895/13
T 1902/13
T 1914/13
T 2457/13
T 0239/14
T 0489/14
T 0886/14
T 1031/14
T 1863/14
T 0095/15
T 1294/15
T 2087/15
T 0688/16
T 0817/16
T 1820/16
T 2314/16
T 2316/16
T 2379/16
T 2677/16
T 0697/17
T 1924/17
T 0755/18

Source: http://www.epo.org/law-practice/case-law-appeals/recent/t030258ex1.html

Date retrieved: 17 May 2021

100 references found.

Click X to load a reference inside the current page, click on the title to open in a new page.

EPO Guidelines - B Search

X GL B VIII 2.2 Subject-matter excluded from patentability under Art. 52(2) and (3)

EPO Guidelines - G Patentability

X GL G II 3.5.3 Schemes, rules and methods for doing business

X GL G II 3.6 Programs for computers

X GL G VII 5.4.1 Formulation of the objective technical problem for claims comprising technical and non-technical features

Offical Journal of the EPO

X OJ EPO SE 1/2021, p179 - Annex 1 - Index of published decisions of the boards of appeal and the Enlarged Board of Appeal - (as at 31 December 2020)

X OJ EPO SE 4/2020, p2 - I. PATENTABILITY

X OJ EPO SE 1/2020, p174 - Annex 1 - Index of published decisions of the boards of appeal and the Enlarged Board of Appeal - (as at 31 December 2019)

X OJ EPO SE 1/2019, p158 - XVI. - Index of published decisions of the boards of appeal and the Enlarged Board of Appeal - (as at 31 December 2018)

X OJ EPO 2019, A86 - Interlocutory decision of Technical Board of Appeal 3.5.07 dated 22 February 2019 - T 489/14

Case Law Book: I Patentability

X CLR I A 1.1 Technical character of an invention

X CLR I A 1.4 Verification of the presence of an invention under Article 52(1) EPC

X CLR I A 1.4.1.A Earlier case law of the boards of appeal: the "contribution approach"

X CLR I A 1.4.1.B Abandonment of the "contribution approach"

X CLR I A 1.4.1.C Some consequences of abandoning the contribution approach

X CLR I A 1.4.3 Methods involving technical means

X CLR I A 1.4.4 Methods used in a technical process carried out on a physical entity

X CLR I A 1.4.5 Apparatus constituting a physical entity or concrete product

X CLR I A 2.1 Introduction

X CLR I A 2.2.2 Mathematical methods

X CLR I A 2.4.1 Introduction

X CLR I A 2.4.3.B Technical effect on a physical entity

X CLR I A 2.4.3.C Technical considerations: programming a computer

X CLR I A 2.4.3.E Methods performed by a computer

X CLR I A 2.4.3.F Computer-implemented simulation methods

X CLR I A 2.4.4.A Computer program recorded on the medium

X CLR I A 2.4.4.B Exclusion of computer programs under Article 52(2) and (3) EPC

X CLR I A 2.5.1 Methods for doing business

X CLR I A 2.5.2 Methods for performing mental acts

X CLR I D 9.1.1 Technical character of an invention

X CLR I D 9.1.2 Inventions having both technical and non-technical features

X CLR I D 9.1.3.B The Comvik approach

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

Case Law of the Enlarged Board

X G 0002/07 (Broccoli/PLANT BIOSCIENCE) of 9.12.2010

X G 0001/08 (Tomatoes/STATE OF ISRAEL) of 9.12.2010

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

General Case Law

X T 0052/85 () of 16.3.1989

X T 0026/86 (X-ray apparatus) of 21.5.1987

X T 0038/86 (Text processing) of 14.2.1989

X T 0769/92 (General-purpose management system) of 31.5.1994

X T 0931/95 (Controlling pension benefits system/PBS PARTNERSHIP) of 8.9.2000

X T 1173/97 (Computer program product/IBM) of 1.7.1998

X T 0641/00 (Two identities/COMVIK) of 26.9.2002

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

X T 0914/02 () of 12.7.2005

X T 0424/03 (Clipboard formats I/MICROSOFT) of 23.2.2006

X T 0469/03 (Clipboard formats VI/MICROSOFT) of 24.2.2006

X T 0531/03 (Discount certificates/CATALINA) of 17.3.2005

X T 0928/03 (Video game/KONAMI) of 2.6.2006

X T 0958/03 (Purchase incentives/CATALINA MARKETING) of 17.1.2007

X T 0049/04 (Text Processor/WALKER) of 18.10.2005

X T 0125/04 (Assessment system/COMPARATIVE VISUAL ASSESSMENTS) of 10.5.2005

X T 0154/04 (Estimating sales activity / DUNS LICENSING ASSOCIATES) of 15.11.2006

X T 0388/04 (Undeliverable mail/PITNEY BOWES) of 22.3.2006

X T 1242/04 (Provision of product-specific data/MAN) of 20.10.2006

X T 1284/04 (Loan system/KING) of 7.3.2007

X T 1351/04 (File search method/FUJITSU) of 18.4.2007

X T 0471/05 () of 6.2.2007

X T 0912/05 () of 15.4.2008

X T 0930/05 (Modellieren eines Prozessnetzwerks/XPERT) of 10.11.2006

X T 1227/05 (Circuit simulation I/Infineon Technologies) of 13.12.2006

X T 0784/06 (Genotype determination/BECKMAN) of 23.6.2010

X T 1023/06 () of 7.12.2006

X T 1171/06 (Objekt-orientierte Modellierung/BOSCH) of 3.11.2010

X T 1326/06 (RSA SchlÃ¼sselpaarberechnung/GIESECKE & DEVRIENT) of 30.11.2010

X T 1543/06 (game machine/GAMEACCOUNT) of 29.6.2007

X T 1658/06 (Digital rights management/MICROSOFT) of 14.1.2011

X T 1704/06 (Paying winning bets/RUDD) of 14.12.2007

X T 1749/06 () of 24.2.2010

X T 1784/06 (Classification method/COMPTEL) of 21.9.2012

X T 1873/06 (Optimized drug delivery/OPTIMATA) of 13.9.2007

X T 0336/07 () of 11.10.2007

X T 0384/07 () of 8.9.2009

X T 0494/07 () of 13.5.2011

X T 0859/07 () of 27.11.2007

X T 1044/07 (Combinatorial auction / COMBINENET) of 19.12.2008

X T 1793/07 () of 2.7.2008

X T 1814/07 (Index disorder/CARDIAC INTELLIGENCE CORP.) of 2.9.2008

X T 1875/07 (Predicting internet traffic/YAHOO) of 5.11.2008

X T 0012/08 () of 6.2.2009

X T 0506/08 (Online-Auktion / Volkswagen) of 16.8.2012

X T 1954/08 (Marketing simulation/SAP) of 6.3.2013

X T 0042/09 (Logical hierarchical data model/BOEING) of 10.3.2014

X T 1265/09 (Call center/IEX) of 24.1.2012

X T 1358/09 (Classification/BDGB ENTERPRISE SOFTWARE) of 21.11.2014

X T 1539/09 (Programmiersystem/RENNER) of 18.7.2013

X T 1547/09 () of 8.6.2010

X T 0313/10 (Item matching/AMAZON) of 19.7.2012

X T 1225/10 () of 11.1.2011

X T 2258/10 () of 4.10.2011

X T 0188/11 () of 3.5.2013

X T 0483/11 (Document summary/ARIZAN CORPORATION) of 13.10.2015

X T 0625/11 () of 19.1.2017

X T 0022/12 (Spam classification/MICROSOFT) of 16.11.2015

X T 0283/12 (Mail filtering/STRATO) of 15.2.2018

X T 0414/12 () of 10.4.2013

X T 0651/12 () of 14.4.2016

X T 1331/12 () of 10.4.2013

X T 0489/14 (Pedestrian simulation/CONNOR) of 22.2.2019

X T 0697/17 (SQL extensions/MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING) of 17.10.2019

X T 1924/17 (Data consistency management/ACCENTURE GLOBAL SERVICES) of 29.7.2019