Home ›

T 154/04 - Estimating sales activity/DUNS LICENSING ASSOCIATES

in
Reference numbers
Case number: 
T 154/04
Headword: 
Estimating sales activity/DUNS LICENSING ASSOCIATES
Application number: 
94912949.8
Publication number: 
695445
Date of the Decision: 
2006-11-15
Additional Case Information
Title of the invention: 
Method of estimating product distribution
IPC: 
G06F 15/21
Keyword: 
Requirement of invention -- method, main request (no); Requirement of invention -- method, auxiliary request 1 (yes); Inventive step -- system, main and auxiliary requests 1 to 3 (no); Amendments -- claim 1, auxiliary requests 4 and 5 (inadmissible); Remittal for further prosecution (refused); Referral to the Enlarged Board of Appeal (refused)
Applicant: 
DUNS LICENSING ASSOCIATES, L.P.
Chairman of the Board: 
Steinbrener, S.V.
Members of the Board: 
Zimmermann, R. R. K.
Members of the Board: 
Weiss, G.
Relevant Legal Provisions: 
EPC Art. 52(1), 52(2) and (3), 54, 56, 112(1)(a) and (b), 123(2) RPBA Art. 15, 16 EPC 2000 Art. 52(1) Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties of 1969, Art. 31
Cites (case law): 
T 1002/92 - Queueing system/PETTERSSON (abridged)
Cites (case law): 
T 1173/97 - Computer program product/IBM
Cites (case law): 
T 172/03 - Order management/RICOH
Cites (case law): 
T 208/84 - Computer-related invention/VICOM
Cites (case law): 
T 22/85 - Document abstracting and retrieving/IBM
Cites (case law): 
T 258/03 - Auction method/HITACHI
Cites (case law): 
T 641/00 - Two identities/COMVIK
Cites (case law): 
T 769/92 - General-purpose management system/SOHEI
Cites (case law): 
T 931/95 - Controlling pension benefits system/PBS PARTNERSHIP
Cites further: 

G 0005/83, G 0002/88, G 0001/95, G 0001/98, G 0003/98, G 0001/03, G 0001/04, T 0212/94, T 0953/94, T 0619/02, T 0764/02, T 0531/03, T 0930/05; Judgement of the German Federal Court of Justice X ZB 20/03 – elektronischer Zahlungsverkehr of 24 May 2004; Judgement of the England and Wales Court of Appeal in re Aerotel Ltd v Telco Holdings Ltd (and others) and Macrossan’s Patent Application [2006] EWCA Civ 1371; Judgement of the England and Wales Court of Appeal in re Genentech Inc.’s Patent [1989] R.P.C. 147.

Language of the proceedings: 
EN
Headnote: 
  1. Methods of business research are excluded “as such” from patentability under Article 52(2)© and (3) EPC.
  2. Gathering and evaluating data as part of a business research method do not convey technical character to the business research method if such steps do not contribute to the technical solution of a technical problem.