® Institut der beim Europäischen Patentamt zugelassenen Vertreter Institute of Professional Representatives before the European Patent Office Institut des mandataires agréés près l’Office européen des brevets ISSN 1434-8853 Information September 2016 3 16 5 95t h Board Meeting in Haarlem 21 A Review of the “Problem and 34 The Problem and Solution Solution” Approach to Inventive Approach – Basic Case Law and 9 Considerations about the Step under Article 56 EPC, Part 3 Recent Development, Part 1 Code of Conduct for UPC representatives 27 Limits of a Limited Opposition 44 Evaluation of 10 Toujours la politesse 30 Thoughts About the EQE, Part 2 Claim Amendments Cover: III Claim 6 This picture painted by Mr. Jowi Burger (European Patent Attorney, NL) was part of the epi Artists Exhibition 2015 at the EPO, Munich Jowi Burger owi Burger (68), European Patent owi Burger (68), zugelassener Ver- owi Burger (68), mandataire agréé J Attorney from the Netherlands, is Jtreter vor dem Europäischen Patent- J près l'office européen des brevets, painting since 1991 next to his legal amt aus den Niederlanden, malt originaire des Pays-Bas, s’adonne à la activities on intellectual property bereits seit 1991 neben seiner berufli- peinture depuis 1991, parallèlement rights. He studied mechanical engi - chen Tätigkeit in Rechtsfragen zu gei- à ses activités jurdidiques sur les droits neering and industrial design at stigem Eigentum. Er studierte Maschi- de la propriété intellectuelle. Il a étudié Delft University and after military nenbau und Industriedesign an der le génie mécanique et le dessin indus- service studied chemistry, pharma - Universität Delft und nach seinem Mili- triel à l’université de Delft et, après cology and IP law at Leiden Univer- tärdienst studierte er Chemie, Phar- son service militaire, il a étudié la chi- sity and Free University Amsterdam. makologie und IP Recht and der Uni- mie, la pharmacologie et les droits de Painting and designing not only give versität Leiden und der Freien propriété intellectuelle à l’université him much joy but also have proven Universität Amsterdam. Das Malen de Leyde et à l’université libre d'Ams- to be a source of inspiration for his und das Designen bereiten ihm nicht terdam. La peinture et le dessin ne lui legal work. He focusses on abstract nur sehr viel Freude, sondern haben procurent pas seulement beaucoup painting but also paints portraits and sich auch als eine Quelle der Inspiration de joie mais se sont révélés être des “en plein air“ works. Inspired by the für seine Arbeit herausgestellt. Er kon- sources d’inspiration pour son travail art of drafting claims of patent appli - zentriert sich auf abstrakte Malerei, juridique. Il se concentre sur la pein- cations, Jowi decided to seek pre- malt aber ebenso Portraits und soge- ture abstraite mais peint également ferred embodiments in his paintings. nannte „en plein air“ Bilder. Inspiriert des portraits et des œuvres “en plein The pictures shown on his website durch seine Arbeit, dem Formulieren air“. Inspiré par l’art d’établir des (http://jowiartpreferredembodiments. von Patentansprüchen, hat Jowi revendications de demandes de bre- blogspot.de/) reveal the surprising beschlossen, vorzugsweise Verkörpe- vets, Jowi a décidé de chercher des wealth of pictures extracted from his rungen derselben in seiner Malerei incarnations dans ses peintures. Les paintings that may be regarded auszudrücken. Die auf seiner Webseite peintures exposées sur son site internet “main claims”. (http://jowiartpreferredembodiments. (http://jowiartpreferredembodiments. blogspot.de/) präsentierten Bilder blogspot.de/) révèlent la surprenante offenbaren den erstaunlichen Reichtum richesse des peintures extraites de ses an Bildern, die seinen Gemälden ent- œuvres qui peuvent être considérées nommen wurden und als „Hauptan- comme des “revendications princi - spruch“ angesehen werden können. pales”. Information 03/2016 Table of Contents 3 Table of Contents Editorial .........................4 Information from the Secretariat I – Information concerning epi Election to Council 2017 .................4 Next Board and Council Meetings ...........16 95 th Board Meeting in Haarlem Deadline 4/2016 ....................20 on 10 th September, 2016 .................5 epi Disciplinary bodies and Committees ........50 Report of the Oral Proceedings before the Enlarged epi Board ........................54 Board of Appeal in case G 1/15, by R. Jorritsma ....6 Considerations about the Code of Conduct for UPC representatives, by G. Checcacci ..........9 II – Contributions from epi Members Conflict of Interest, by P. Rosenich ...........10 and other contributions Toujours la politesse, by C. Mercer ...........10 Workshop on the Technical Implementation Articles of the Unitary Patent, by Y. Biron ...........12 A Review of the “Problem and Solution” Committee Reports Approach to Inventive Step under Article 56 EPC Part 3 – Modifying the Comvik Formulation Report of the European Patent Practice of the Problem, by A. Kennington ...........21 Committee (EPPC), by F. Leyder .............14 Limits of a limited opposition - Part II, Report of the Litigation Committee, by Dr. L. Walder-Hartmann ...............27 by A. Casalonga .....................16 Thoughts about the EQE – Effectiveness of EQE Training - Part II, by B. Cronin .........30 The Problem and Solution Approach – Basic Case Education and Training Law and Recent Development (Part I), by M. M. Fischer ....................34 Forthcoming Educational Events ............17 Evaluation of Claim Amendments, by S. Adams ....44 Flexible epi Tutorials ..................17 Milestone: more than 1000 patent attorneys attended the Opposition and Appeal Seminars ....18 Letter to the Editor Computing time limits under the EPC, by F. Leyder ..49 Information from the EPO The eDrex tool – leaving dinosaurs behind, by H. Pihlajamaa, EPO Director Patent Law ......19 Contact Data of Legal and Unitary Patent Division ..20 4 Editorial Information 03/2016 Editorial T. Johnson (GB), Editorial Committee he result of the UK Referendum on EU membership Reverting to Brexit, negotiations regarding the future of T is in, the great British public having voted ‘out’, in the UP and UPC will however continue post-Brexit. It should what has become known as Brexit. There will be many be borne in mind that despite the Brexit vote, the UK is issues to resolve before the UK finally leaves the EU still a part of the EU, and will remain so until a final EU exit post- Brexit, and IP will certainly not be immune from strategy is agreed with the other Member States. Such them. agreement may well not be reached until 2019-2020. With a fair wind and national resolve, the UPC for example One thing is certain. The UK will remain a Member could be ratified before the UK formally leaves the EU. State of the EPC, no matter what is decided on the Measures would need to be agreed between the EU mem - Brexit front. However, we have heard of rumours being ber states and the UK government as to how the UK would put about that the UK, and hence our British members, deal with the (ratified) UPC after exiting the EU. Govern - will have no future in the EPC, which as our readers ments will decide, but if our proposition comes to pass, know is not an EU creation and so has nothing to do we would hope that such measures would be simple, with Brexit. We feel it regrettable that terminological transparent and proportional, to provide certainty for all inexactitudes such as these rumours are put about and users of the system going forward from say 2020. can, again regrettably, gain credence by repetition. We feel confident that our Institute will quash such inaccu - In our view Brexit does not mean ‘put the brakes on’ the rate rumours, to the benefit of the membership as a UP or UPC, rather ‘let’s move forward’. We wish the nego - whole. tiators well! Election to Council 2017 t the beginning of next year, the Council of the The election shall be by remote e-voting. You shall receive A Institute is due to be elected for its new term. You on 15 January 2017 at the latest, a web address for a can declare from 1st October 2016 – 1st November secure website, and a personal password from our inde- 2016 according to the Rules for Election to Council that pendent voting service provider. The epi Secretariat will you are ready to stand for election or for re-election to send you a ballot paper by post if remote e-voting is the Council. This time your nomination can be done impossible for you. online through the epi website. The instructions how to log-in on the epi website can be found here: You can request the ballot paper by returning a corre- http://patentepi.com sponding form that you will receive together with the paper nomination form mentioned above. The form Alternatively, if the online nomination is impossible for must be received by the epi Secretariat at the latest on you, you can use the nomination paper form that will 1st November 2016. be sent to you by 1st October 2016. The usual case is that you stand for election in your own If you have any questions, please constituency, corresponding to your address registered at contact the epi Secretariat as follows: the EPO. Your constituency is the State party to the EPC Tel +49 89 242052 0 in which you have your place of business or employment. or email: [email protected] Information 03/2016 Information concering epi 5 95 th Board Meeting in Haarlem on 10 th September, 2016 A. Faivre ( epi Secretariat) he 95 th meeting of epi ’s Board took place on 10 th letter to the EU Council on the occasion of the forthcoming T September, 2016 in Haarlem (NL). The President Competitiveness Council scheduled for next 29 th Septem - opened the meeting by welcoming the Board members. ber, expressing the epi views on the UPC/UP ratification The minutes of the 94 th Board Meeting were adopted and implementation.