T 0738/04 () of 11.12.2008

European Case Law Identifier: ECLI:EP:BA:2008:T073804.20081211
Date of decision: 11 December 2008
Case number: T 0738/04
Application number: 95306977.0
IPC class: G06K 19/073
G07F 7/08
Language of proceedings: EN
Distribution: B
Download and more information:
Decision text in EN (PDF, 41 KB)
Documentation of the appeal procedure can be found in the Register
Bibliographic information is available in: EN
Versions: Unpublished
Title of application: Circuit and its method of operation
Applicant name: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INC.
Opponent name: GIESECKE & DEVRIENT GmbH
Board: 3.4.01
Headnote: -
Relevant legal provisions:
European Patent Convention 1973 Art 56
Rules of procedure of the Boards of Appeal R 13(3)
European Patent Convention 1973 Art 100(b)
Keywords: Prior use (absolute conviction)
Late-filed evidence
Availability to the public (no)
Inventive step (yes)
Sufficiency of disclosure
Catchwords:

In a situation in which the elaboration of a norm led to a multiplicity of factual situations possibly each constituting on its own a prior use (various printed versions of the norm, multiplicity of meetings, public enquiry, etc.), the opponent should, from the outset of the opposition proceedings or ensuing appeal proceedings, have identified those situations in respect of which he will be able to produce evidence complete enough to support the desired conclusion.

It would have been unfair to allow the appellant in the course of inter partes proceedings to extend the case originally put forward in relation to one specific situation to other situations, even if these situations arose in the framework of one and the same general elaboration process (cf. Point 3.5 of the decision).

Cited decisions:
G 0009/91
T 0472/92
T 0097/94
T 0611/95
T 0202/97
Citing decisions:
T 0278/09
T 0918/11
T 0030/12
T 0939/14

15 references found.

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EPO Guidelines - G Patentability

Case Law Book: I Patentability

Case Law Book: III Amendments

Case Law of the Enlarged Board

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