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

European Case Law Identifier: ECLI:EP:BA:2006:T015404.20061115
Date of decision: 15 November 2006
Case number: T 0154/04
Application number: 94912949.8
IPC class: G06F 15/21
Language of proceedings: EN
Distribution: A
Download and more information:
Decision text in EN (PDF, 110 KB)
Documentation of the appeal procedure can be found in the Register
Bibliographic information is available in: EN
Versions: OJ | Published
Title of application: Method of estimating product distribution
Applicant name: DUNS LICENSING ASSOCIATES, L.P.
Opponent name: -
Board: 3.5.01
Headnote: I. Methods of business research are excluded "as such" from patentability under Article 52(2)(c) and (3) EPC.
II. Gathering and evaluating data as part of a business research method do not convey technical character to the business research method if such steps do not contribute to the technical solution of a technical problem.
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 112(1)(a)
European Patent Convention 1973 Art 112(1)(b)
European Patent Convention 1973 Art 123(2)
Rules of procedure of the Boards of Appeal Art 15
Rules of procedure of the Boards of Appeal Art 16
European Patent Convention Art 52(1)
Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (1969) Art 31
Judgement of the German Federal Court of Justice X ZB 20/03 - elektronischer Zahlungsverkehr of 24 May 2004
Judgement of the England and Wales Court of Appeal in re Aerotel Ltd v Telco Holdings Ltd (and others) and Macrossan´s Patent Application [2006] EWCA Civ 1371
Judgement of the England and Wales Court of Appeal in re Genentech Inc.'s Patent [1989] R.P.C. 147
Keywords: Requirement of invention - method, main request (no)
Requirement of invention - method, auxiliary request 1 (yes)
Inventive step - system, main and auxiliary requests 1 to 3 (no)
Amendments - claim 1, auxiliary requests 4 and 5 (inadmissible)
Remittal for further prosecution (refused)
Referral to the Enlarged Board of Appeal (refused)
Catchwords:

-

Cited decisions:
G 0005/83
G 0002/88
G 0001/95
G 0001/98
G 0003/98
G 0001/03
G 0001/04
T 0208/84
T 0022/85
T 0769/92
T 1002/92
T 0212/94
T 0953/94
T 0931/95
T 1173/97
T 0641/00
T 0619/02
T 0764/02
T 0172/03
T 0258/03
T 0531/03
T 0930/05
Citing decisions:
G 0003/08
G 0002/12
G 0002/13
G 0001/19
T 0306/04
T 0365/05
T 0368/05
T 0688/05
T 1505/05
T 1567/05
T 0116/06
T 0390/06
T 0696/06
T 0784/06
T 1027/06
T 1029/06
T 1073/06
T 1143/06
T 1543/06
T 1784/06
T 0354/07
T 0823/07
T 1575/07
T 0477/08
T 1869/08
T 2217/08
T 1214/09
T 1265/09
T 1344/09
T 1358/09
T 1782/09
T 2063/09
T 1145/10
T 1211/10
T 1237/10
T 1623/10
T 1769/10
T 2230/10
T 2383/10
T 0617/11
T 0625/11
T 0631/11
T 0779/11
T 1393/11
T 2035/11
T 0464/12
T 0912/12
T 1461/12
T 1722/12
T 1793/12
T 1952/12
T 2101/12
T 2372/12
T 2418/12
T 2469/12
T 0268/13
T 0548/13
T 1185/13
T 2191/13
T 2276/13
T 2330/13
T 2455/13
T 0336/14
T 0489/14
T 0552/14
T 0598/14
T 0995/14
T 1140/14
T 1779/14
T 1396/15
T 0670/16
T 0688/16
T 0818/16
T 1455/16
T 1750/16
T 2314/16
T 2573/16
T 0123/17
T 0697/17
T 0731/17
T 1089/17
T 1924/17
T 0543/18
T 2366/18
T 2825/19

Source: http://www.epo.org/law-practice/case-law-appeals/recent/t040154ex1.html

Date retrieved: 17 May 2021

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