Dr. Ingve Björn Stjerna, LL.M.

EU Patent Reform: Advocate General’s Statements of Position – Superseded by reality,

Article on the Opinion in matter C-146/13 and the implications of the most recent events at the EPO (Published on 15/01/2015)

On 18 November 2014, Advocate General Yves Bot‘s Statements of Position in the Spanish nullity proceedings against the two Regulations on the “unitary patent” were published, his recommendation to the Court being a rejection of the actions. Once again, the legal issues are subordinated to the political interest in the implementation of the “unitary patent package”, however, based on a widely not very convincing argumentation. Especially the Statement in case C-146/13 largely tries to avoid any contextual debate of the critical aspects raised, e. g. in relation to the adequacy of legal protection at the European Patent Office, while contradictions and misunderstandings occur repeatedly. Not least in view of the recent events at the European Patent Office, culminating in the suspension of a Boards of Appeal member by the President, the question arises to what extent the Statements of Position can form a suitable basis for the Court’s decision at all.

  • Download English version (article of 15/01/2015, updated and expanded version of 05/03/2015, PDF)
  • Download German version (article of 15/01/2015, updated and expanded version of 05/03/2015, PDF)

Resources:

  • Link to the Statement of Position by Advocate General Yves Bot in case C-146/13 re Regulation (EU) No. 1257/2012
  • Link to the Statement of Position by Advocate General Yves Bot in case C-146/13 re Regulation (EU) No. 1260/2012
  • Link to the correspondence with the CJEU Translation Unit as to the English versions of the Statements of Position
  • Link to the article “Strukturreform: Europäisches Patentamt will Beschwerdekammern EuGH unterstellen” (“Structural reform: European Patent Office wants bring Boards of Appeal under CJEU control”) in JUVE Rechtsmarkt, 04/12/2014 (German)
  • Link to the description of the project “Autonomy of the boards of appeal” and revision proposal at www.epo.org (08/07/2017, via archive.org)
  • Link to document CA/46/04 of 28/05/2004 (Draft basic proposal for a revision of the EPC implementing the organisational autonomy of the Boards of Appeal of the European Patent Office within the European Patent Organisation) (PDF)
  • Link to document CA/46/04 Corr. 1. of 09/06/2004 (corrected version of document CA/46/04 ) (PDF)
  • Link to interlocutory decision R 19/12 of the EPO Enlarged Board of Appeal of 25/04/2014 (PDF, German)
  • Link to the letter from members of the Enlarged Board of Appeal of 08/12/2014
  • Link to the Communique on the 142nd meeting of the Administrative Council, 12/12/2014
  • Link to the President’s post “2014, another successful year for the EPO” of 19/12/2014 on the EPO Blog
  • Link to the letter from the RT Hon LJ Floyd and the Advocate General to the Dutch Supreme Court Robert van Peursem of 09/12/2014 (PDF)
  • Letter from the Intellectual Property Judges Association (IPJA) of 05/01/2015 (PDF)
  • Link to the article “Skandal im Europäischen Patentamt: Druck auf Präsidenten wächst nach Hausverbot für Richter” (“Scandal at the European Patent Office: Growing pressure on President after house ban for judge”) in JUVE Rechtsmarkt, 09/12/2014
  • Link to the decision of the European Commission on Human Rights in case Lenzing AG vs Germany (No 39025/97) of 09/09/1998
  • Link to the decision by the German Constitutional Court of 04/04/2001 in case 2 BvR 2368/99 (German)
  • Link to “Statement of Positon” of Advocate General Juliane Kokott in matter 1/09 of 02/07/2010 (PDF) | Original (PDF, French)
  • Link to the judgment by the German Constitutional Court of 30/06/2009 in case 2 BvE 2/08 and others
  • Link to interlocutory decision R 2/14 of the EPO Enlarged Board of Appeal of 17/02/2015 (PDF)
  • Link to GRUR Newsletter 2/2010 with the interview “Nachgefragt: Benoît Battistelli, Präsident des EPA” (PDF, German, via grur.org)
  • Link to a screenshot of the error message after removal of the page “Organisational autonomy of the Boards of Appeal” from epo.org (05/02/2015)
  • Link to a screenshot of the page “Organisational autonomy of the Boards of Appeal” after its restoration on epo.org (08/02/2015)


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