Patent decision

BL number

O/191/14

Concerning rights in

GB2451566B

Hearing Officer

Mr S Probert

Decision date

6 May 2014

Person(s) or Company(s) involved

Mathys & Squire LLP

Provisions discussed

Section 72, rule 77

Keywords

Inventive step, Revocation

Related Decisions

None

Summary

An application to revoke a patent on the ground that the claims lacked inventive step. No counter-statement was filed. The invention concerned a power tool (eg. a magnetic base drill press) capable of being powered by an internal DC source or an external AC supply.

The application to revoke was based upon five pieces of prior art, as well as the common general knowledge; the applicant alleging that the subject matter of the claims was a mere collocation or aggregation of known integers. The Hearing Officer agreed that claim 1 did not involve an inventive step. The patent, as it stood, was invalid. As there was no prospect of amendment under section 75, the Hearing Officer revoked the patent.

Full decision O/191/14 151Kb