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

European Case Law Identifier: ECLI:EP:BA:2005:T053103.20050317
Date of decision: 17 March 2005
Case number: T 0531/03
Application number: 92102006.1
IPC class: G07G 5/00
Language of proceedings: EN
Distribution: B
Download and more information:
Decision text in EN (PDF, 91 KB)
Documentation of the appeal procedure can be found in the Register
Bibliographic information is available in: EN
Versions: Unpublished
Title of application: Method and apparatus for generating cumulative discount certificates
Applicant name: Catalina Marketing International, Inc.
Opponent name: INFOMIL
TESCO STORES LIMITED
Board: 3.4.03
Headnote: -
Relevant legal provisions:
European Patent Convention 1973 Art 52(1)
European Patent Convention 1973 Art 52(2)(c)
European Patent Convention 1973 Art 56
Keywords: Inventive step (no): Treatment of non-technical aspects in the assessment of inventive step (confirming T 0641/00)
Catchwords:

1. In the assessment of inventive step, features relating to a non-invention within the meaning of Article 52(2) EPC (so-called "non-technical features") cannot support the presence of inventive step (reasons, 2.5 and 2.6).

2. An attempt to take into account the contribution of non-technical and technical aspects on an equal footing in the assessment of inventive step would not be in conformity with the EPC, since the presence of inventive step would in such an approach be attributed to features which are defined in the EPC as not being an invention (reasons, 2.6).

Cited decisions:
G 0002/02
T 0026/86
T 0796/92
T 0931/95
T 0641/00
T 0258/03
Citing decisions:
T 0619/02
T 0764/02
T 0958/03
T 0154/04
T 1063/05
T 0506/06
T 0784/06

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