T 0301/87 (Alpha-interferons) of 16.2.1989

European Case Law Identifier: ECLI:EP:BA:1989:T030187.19890216
Date of decision: 16 February 1989
Case number: T 0301/87
Application number: 81300050.2
IPC class: -
Language of proceedings: EN
Distribution: A
Download and more information:
Decision text in EN (PDF, 2 MB)
Documentation of the appeal procedure can be found in the Register
Bibliographic information is available in: EN
Versions: OJ | Published
Title of application: -
Applicant name: Biogen
Opponent name: Hoffmann La Roche
Boehringer
Upjohn
Hoechst
Board: 3.3.02
Headnote: 1. When amendments are made to a patent during an opposition, Article 102(3) EPC requires consideration as to whether the amendments introduce any contravention of any requirement of the Convention, including Article 84 EPC; Article 102(3) EPC does not allow objections to be based upon Article 84 EPC, if such objections do not arise out of the amendments made (further to T 227/88, dated 15 December 1988) (cf. Point 3.7 of the reasons)
2. Variations in the construction within a class of genetic precursors, such as recombinant DNA molecules, claimed by a combination of structural limitations and functional tests are immaterial to the sufficiency of the disclosure provided the skilled person could reliably obtain members of the class without necessarily knowing in advance which member would thereby be made available (further to T 281/86 dated 27 January 1988) (cf. Point 4.5 of the reasons).
3. If an entity itself is disclosed to the skilled person, this does not necessarily mean that a component part is also disclosed for the purpose of priority if this is not envisaged directly and unambiguously as such, and requires considerable investigation to reveal its identity (cf. Point 6.3 of the reasons).
4. When priority is claimed for a European patent application, the publication of the content of the priority application in the interval between the filing of that application and the filing of the (final) European patent application cannot be used as state of the art against any claim in the latter application. However, if such publication goes beyond the content of a previously filed application and includes subject-matters not covered by the disclosure of that application, such disclosure may in principle be cited against any claim in the (final) European patent application relying on a priority date subsequent to the publication date (cf. Point 7.8 of the reasons).
Relevant legal provisions:
European Patent Convention 1973 Art 54
European Patent Convention 1973 Art 56
European Patent Convention 1973 Art 83
European Patent Convention 1973 Art 84
European Patent Convention 1973 Art 87
European Patent Convention 1973 Art 88
European Patent Convention 1973 Art 89
European Patent Convention 1973 Art 102
European Patent Convention 1973 R 28
Paris Convention Art 4b
Paris Convention Art 4f
Keywords: Opposition grounds - matters arising from amendments
Sufficiency - Reliability for obtaining members of a claimed class
Novelty - Gene bank
Priority - Entity and component part of it
Priority and inventive step - subsequent publication not state of the art against European application
Applicability of the Paris Convention
Catchwords:

-

Cited decisions:
-
Citing decisions:
G 0002/98
G 0001/03
G 0002/03
G 0003/14
G 0001/15
T 0372/87
T 0121/88
T 0296/88
T 0472/88
T 0487/89
T 0577/89
T 0583/89
T 0252/90
T 0383/90
T 0594/90
T 0961/90
T 0156/91
T 0189/91
T 0435/91
T 0500/91
T 0886/91
T 0951/91
T 0128/92
T 0487/92
T 0694/92
T 0893/92
T 0923/92
T 0955/92
T 0296/93
T 0412/93
T 0670/93
T 0828/93
T 0308/94
T 0310/94
T 0656/94
T 0668/94
T 0910/94
T 0977/94
T 0350/95
T 0377/95
T 0481/95
T 0563/95
T 0684/95
T 0780/95
T 0089/96
T 0172/96
T 0232/96
T 0367/96
T 0429/96
T 0474/96
T 0645/96
T 0648/96
T 0774/96
T 0157/97
T 0313/97
T 0433/97
T 0479/97
T 0763/97
T 0908/97
T 1013/97
T 1204/97
T 1212/97
T 0117/98
T 0144/98
T 0174/98
T 0175/98
T 0274/98
T 0317/98
T 0680/98
T 0693/98
T 0753/98
T 0785/98
T 1055/98
T 0281/99
T 0427/99
T 0698/99
T 0717/99
T 0727/99
T 0866/99
T 0877/99
T 0064/00
T 0309/00
T 0420/00
T 0427/00
T 0472/00
T 0681/00
T 0690/00
T 0731/00
T 0819/00
T 0972/00
T 1015/00
T 1052/00
T 1074/00
T 1203/00
T 0003/01
T 0037/01
T 0043/01
T 0142/01
T 0179/01
T 0497/01
T 0576/01
T 0625/01
T 0822/01
T 1228/01
T 0172/02
T 0174/02
T 0269/02
T 0326/02
T 0373/02
T 0381/02
T 0412/02
T 0564/02
T 0657/02
T 0683/02
T 0698/02
T 0739/02
T 0893/02
T 1033/02
T 1076/02
T 0262/03
T 0299/03
T 0431/03
T 0518/03
T 0651/03
T 0793/03
T 1018/03
T 0108/04
T 0128/04
T 0210/04
T 0236/04
T 0392/04
T 0515/04
T 0762/04
T 0843/04
T 0881/04
T 0908/04
T 0081/05
T 0323/05
T 0348/05
T 0369/05
T 0544/05
T 0555/05
T 0642/05
T 1421/05
T 1459/05
T 0054/06
T 0098/06
T 0100/06
T 0257/06
T 0805/06
T 0824/06
T 0868/06
T 1302/06
T 1517/06
T 0061/07
T 0079/07
T 0130/07
T 0193/07
T 0298/07
T 0656/07
T 1129/07
T 1705/07
T 1855/07
T 2001/07
T 2049/07
T 0008/08
T 0474/08
T 0739/08
T 0783/08
T 1150/08
T 1398/08
T 1901/08
T 0018/09
T 0075/09
T 0493/09
T 0584/09
T 1495/09
T 0254/10
T 0864/10
T 1577/10
T 2048/10
T 2436/10
T 0682/11
T 1360/11
T 1950/11
T 0115/12
T 0373/12
T 0649/12
T 1581/12
T 2553/12
T 0801/13
T 1138/13
T 1957/14
T 1487/16

101 references found.

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EPO Guidelines - D Opposition and Limitation/Revocation Procedures

EPO Guidelines - H Amendments and Corrections

Offical Journal of the EPO

Case Law Book: II Conditions to be met by an Application

Case Law Book: IV Divisional Applications

Case Law of the Enlarged Board

General Case Law