T 0694/92 (Modifying plant cells) of 8.5.1996

European Case Law Identifier: ECLI:EP:BA:1996:T069492.19960508
Date of decision: 08 May 1996
Case number: T 0694/92
Application number: 84302533.9
IPC class: C12N 15/00
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: Plant gene expression
Applicant name: Mycogen Plant Science, Inc.
Opponent name: Unilever N.V.
Centerns Ungdomsförbund
Sandoz Ltd.
Monsanto Company
Koninklijk Kweekbedrijf en Zaadhandel D.J. van der Have B.V.
Stichting Oppositie Plantoctrooi p/a Studium Generale
Gen-Ethisches Netzwerk
Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften e.V.
Godehard Graf Hoensbroech
Die Grüne Alternative (Grüne)
Board: 3.3.04
Headnote: I. Where an invention relates to the actual realisation of a technical effect anticipated at a theoretical level in the prior art, a proper balance must be found between, on the one hand, the actual technical contribution to the state of the art by said invention, and, on the other hand, the terms in which it is claimed, so that, if patent protection is granted, its scope is fair and adequate (see point 3 of the Reasons).
II. In cases where the gist of the claimed invention consists in the achievement of a given technical effect by known techniques in different areas of application and serious doubts exist as to whether this effect can readily be obtained for the whole range of applications claimed, ample technical details and more than one example may be necessary in order to support claims of a broad scope. Accordingly, claims of broad scope are not allowable, if the skilled person, after reading the description, is not able to readily perform the invention over the whole area claimed without undue burden and without needing inventive skill (see points 5 and 19 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 123(2)
European Patent Convention 1973 Art 123(3)
Keywords: Main request - support by the description (no)
Sufficiency of disclosure (no)
First auxiliary request - support by the description (no)
Sufficiency of disclosure (no)
Second auxiliary request - added subject-matter (yes)
Third auxiliary request - support by the description (yes) - fair generalisation
Sufficiency of disclosure (yes)
Novelty (yes)
Inventive step (yes) - no reasonable expectation of success
Catchwords:

-

Cited decisions:
G 0010/91
T 0032/82
T 0068/85
T 0292/85
T 0301/87
T 0060/89
T 0019/90
T 0158/91
T 0409/91
T 0435/91
T 0626/91
T 0612/92
T 0939/92
T 1055/92
T 0296/93
Citing decisions:
T 0187/93
T 0206/93
T 0794/94
T 0856/94
T 0974/94
T 0078/95
T 0099/95
T 0639/95
T 0691/95
T 0985/95
T 0994/95
T 0289/96
T 0737/96
T 0338/97
T 0354/97
T 0636/97
T 0743/97
T 0288/98
T 0342/98
T 0425/98
T 0743/98
T 1052/98
T 1083/99
T 0363/00
T 0984/00
T 1101/00
T 0356/01
T 0857/01
T 0948/01
T 1100/01
T 0211/02
T 0378/02
T 0891/02
T 1026/02
T 1067/02
T 1127/02
T 0142/03
T 0973/03
T 0094/04
T 0627/04
T 0380/05
T 0905/05
T 0465/06
T 0773/06
T 0415/07
T 0617/07
T 0079/08
T 0589/09
T 2026/10
T 0480/11
T 2374/13
T 2220/14
T 2015/20

52 references found.

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EPO Guidelines - F The European Patent Application

EPO Guidelines - G Patentability

Offical Journal of the EPO

Case Law Book: I Patentability

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

Case Law of the Enlarged Board

General Case Law