T 0582/19 - Lapse of patent in all states

Key points

• Rule 84(1) provides that: "If the European patent has been surrendered in all the designated Contracting States or has lapsed in all those States, the opposition proceedings may be continued at the request of the opponent filed within two months of a communication from the European Patent Office informing him of the surrender or lapse. "
• The general view is that the verb "may" implies that the proceedings can be terminated even if the opponent files the request, in certain cases.
• The present Board, in machine translation: "With regard to the request for continuation of opposition appeal proceedings under Rule 84(1) and Rule 100(1) EPC, filed within the time limit, the board exercises its discretion to allow this request. The legitimate interest asserted by the appellant [opponent]  to revoke the patent in full within the framework of these proceedings is inherent for the appellant opponent here, since the lapse of the patent in the [contracting states] is only effective ex nunc, while the revocation is effective ex tunc."
• This may be different if the patent is surrendered in all states and surrender has retroactive effect under the national law of all designated states wherein the patent is validated.
• See also my comments on T 1959/15. 

EPO T 0582/19

The link to the decision is provided after the jump, as well as (an extract of) the text of the decision.

https://www.epo.org/law-practice/case-law-appeals/recent/t190582du1.html

Entscheidungsgründe

Verfahrensrechtliche Aspekte

1. Bezüglich des fristgerecht eingereichten Antrags auf Fortführung des Einspruchsbeschwerdeverfahrens gemäß Regel 84 (1) und Regel 100 (1) EPÜ übt die Kammer ihr Ermessen so aus, dass sie diesem Antrag stattgibt. Das seitens der Beschwerdeführerin geltend gemachte berechtigte Interesse, das Patent im Rahmen dieses Verfahrens vollständig zu widerrufen, besteht für die beschwerdeführende Einsprechende hier inhärent, da das Erlöschen des Patents in den Vertragsstrafen lediglich ex nunc, der Widerruf jedoch ex tunc wirksam ist.