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Technicality matters – an analysis of patentability of climate inventions under the EPC

Östlund, Johanna LU (2024) JURM02 20242
Department of Law
Faculty of Law
Abstract
This thesis aims to examine challenges associated with patenting climate in-ventions under the European Patent Convention (EPC), with a particular focus on the requirement for ‘technicality’. The method involves reviewing the common case law established by the European Patent Office (EPO) as well as individual decisions of the Boards of Appeal (BoA) of the EPO dealing with green inventions and related matter.

The investigation shows that the practice applied by the EPO risks leading to the rejection of climate inventions that do not have an apparent technical ef-fect but primarily offer environmental benefits, rendering them non-patentable. It also reveals that the methods used by the EPO have developed over time and are, therefore, not... (More)
This thesis aims to examine challenges associated with patenting climate in-ventions under the European Patent Convention (EPC), with a particular focus on the requirement for ‘technicality’. The method involves reviewing the common case law established by the European Patent Office (EPO) as well as individual decisions of the Boards of Appeal (BoA) of the EPO dealing with green inventions and related matter.

The investigation shows that the practice applied by the EPO risks leading to the rejection of climate inventions that do not have an apparent technical ef-fect but primarily offer environmental benefits, rendering them non-patentable. It also reveals that the methods used by the EPO have developed over time and are, therefore, not suited for interdisciplinary technologies, resulting in that environmental benefits are neglected. Furthermore, there appears to be a tradition within the EPO that discriminate inventions that achieve technical effects on a system level. Another reason why environmental aspects may not be considered by the BoA could be a lack of knowledge in the field.

Since the current practice has limited legal support and primarily relies on tradition, and also seems to be narrower than assessments in other jurisdic-tions, it is suggested that EPC is revised regarding the patentable scope. Ad-ditionally, there is a perceived need to give greater focus to environmental issues within the EPO. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Denna uppsats syftar till att undersöka de utmaningar som är förknippade med att patentera gröna innovationer enligt den europeiska patentkonventionen (EPC), med särskilt fokus på kravet på ”teknikalitet”. Metoden innefattar en genomgång av den rättspraxis som Europeiska Patentverket tillämpar samt en analys av relevanta rättsfall som rör gröna uppfinningar och närliggande teknik.

Undersökningen visar att den praxis som det Europeiska Patentverket (EPO) tillämpar riskerar att leda till att gröna uppfinningar, som inte har en uppenbar teknisk effekt men främst miljömässiga fördelar, anses icke-patenterbara. Analysen tyder också på att de metoder som EPO använder har utvecklats under lång tid och därför inte är anpassade för... (More)
Denna uppsats syftar till att undersöka de utmaningar som är förknippade med att patentera gröna innovationer enligt den europeiska patentkonventionen (EPC), med särskilt fokus på kravet på ”teknikalitet”. Metoden innefattar en genomgång av den rättspraxis som Europeiska Patentverket tillämpar samt en analys av relevanta rättsfall som rör gröna uppfinningar och närliggande teknik.

Undersökningen visar att den praxis som det Europeiska Patentverket (EPO) tillämpar riskerar att leda till att gröna uppfinningar, som inte har en uppenbar teknisk effekt men främst miljömässiga fördelar, anses icke-patenterbara. Analysen tyder också på att de metoder som EPO använder har utvecklats under lång tid och därför inte är anpassade för tvärvetenskapliga teknologier, vilket leder till att miljömässiga argument negligeras. Det verkar vidare finnas en tradition inom EPO som missgynnar uppfinningar som åstadkommer tekniska effekter på en övergripande nivå. En annan anledning till att miljömässiga aspekter inte beaktas anses kunna vara okunskap inom området.

Eftersom den rättspraxis som etablerats av EPO inte har något direkt lagstöd och främst bygger på tradition, och dessutom verkar vara snävare än rättspraxis i andra jurisdiktioner, föreslås att EPC revideras i fråga om det patenterbara området. Vidare ses ett behov av att ge större fokus åt miljöfrågor inom EPO. (Less)
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author
Östlund, Johanna LU
supervisor
organization
course
JURM02 20242
year
type
H3 - Professional qualifications (4 Years - )
subject
keywords
immaterialrätt, patent, EPC, climate, technical
language
English
id
9179575
date added to LUP
2025-01-24 14:51:26
date last changed
2025-01-24 14:51:26
@misc{9179575,
  abstract     = {{This thesis aims to examine challenges associated with patenting climate in-ventions under the European Patent Convention (EPC), with a particular focus on the requirement for ‘technicality’. The method involves reviewing the common case law established by the European Patent Office (EPO) as well as individual decisions of the Boards of Appeal (BoA) of the EPO dealing with green inventions and related matter.

The investigation shows that the practice applied by the EPO risks leading to the rejection of climate inventions that do not have an apparent technical ef-fect but primarily offer environmental benefits, rendering them non-patentable. It also reveals that the methods used by the EPO have developed over time and are, therefore, not suited for interdisciplinary technologies, resulting in that environmental benefits are neglected. Furthermore, there appears to be a tradition within the EPO that discriminate inventions that achieve technical effects on a system level. Another reason why environmental aspects may not be considered by the BoA could be a lack of knowledge in the field.

Since the current practice has limited legal support and primarily relies on tradition, and also seems to be narrower than assessments in other jurisdic-tions, it is suggested that EPC is revised regarding the patentable scope. Ad-ditionally, there is a perceived need to give greater focus to environmental issues within the EPO.}},
  author       = {{Östlund, Johanna}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Technicality matters – an analysis of patentability of climate inventions under the EPC}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}