EPO logo
EPO boards of appeal decisions
homepage => search & index => boards of appeal decisions
Search mask List of updates
Date of decision 25 November 98
Case number T 0284/94 - 3.4.1
Application number 85110444.8
IPC G07B17/00
Proceedings Language EN
Title of the application Thermal mechanism for printing fixed and variable information and postage meter having such a mechanism
Applicant name Pitney Bowes Inc.
Opponent name Neopost Ltd.
Headnote
I. An amendment of a claim by the introduction of a technical feature taken in isolation from the description of a specific embodiment is not allowable under Article 123(2) EPC if it is not clear beyond any doubt for a skilled reader from the application documents as filed that the subject-matter of the claim thus amended provides a complete solution to a technical problem unambiguously recognizable from the application.

II. Nor is an amendment allowable under Article 123(2) EPC which replaces a disclosed specific feature either by its function or by a more general term and thus incorporates undisclosed equivalents into the content of the application as filed.

Articles and Rules EPC . Art 56
. Art 84
. Art 123(2)
. Art 123(3)
Keywords
Amendment (not allowable) of European patent application: limitation of claims by introduction of technical features selected from the description of an embodiment
Inadmissible generalizations (main first auxiliary and second auxiliary requests)
Inventive step (yes) (third auxiliary request)
Cited Decisions T 0017/86
T 0416/86
T 0265/88
T 0118/89
Catchwords:
-

get the full pdf
 

EPO Home Page | Recent updates | Request info | Send comments | Index
Patent information on the internet


Copyright © 1997-2000 European Patent Office . All Rights Reserved.
E-mail: EPO Mail Distribution