[FYI] EPO Case Number: T 0931/95 - 3.5.1

["Axel H Horns" <horns@ipjur.com>]

[Mit dieser Entscheidung einer technischen Beschwerdekammer scheint 
das EPA den Spielraum fuer eine Gewaehrung von Patenten auf 
Geschaeftsmethoden spuerbar einzuengen. Man gewinnt den Eindruck, 
dass das EPA sich restriktiver entwickelt als der BGH.       --AHH]  

http://www.european-patent-office.org/dg3/pdf/t950931eu1.pdf

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Case Number: T 0931/95 - 3.5.1  

1. Having technical character is an implicit requirement of the EPC 
to be met by an invention in order to be an invention within the 
meaning of Article 52(1)EPC. (following decisions T 1173/97 and T 
935/97)  

2. Methods only involving economic concepts and practices of doing 
business are not inventions within the meaning of Article 52(1) EPC. 
A feature of a method which concerns the use of technical means for a 
purely non-technical purpose and/or for processing purely non-
technical information does not necessarily confer a technical 
character to such a method.  

3. An apparatus constituting a physical entity or concrete product, 
suitable for performing or supporting an economic activity, is an 
invention within the meaning of Article 52(1) EPC.  

4. There is no basis in the EPC for distinguishing between "new 
features" of an invention and features of that invention which are 
known from the prior art when examining whether the invention 
concerned may be considered to be an invention within the meaning of 
Article 52(1) EPC. Thus there is no basis in the EPC for applying 
this so-called contribution approach for this purpose. (following 
decisions T 1173/97 and T 935/97)  

[...]

The Board, therefore, concludes that:  

Methods only involving economic concepts and practices of doing 
business are not inventions within the meaning of Article 52(1) EPC. 
A feature of a method which concerns the use of technical means for a 
purely non-technical purpose and/or for processing purely non-
technical information does not necessarily confer a technical 
character to such a method.  

[...]

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