判決：歐洲專利申請案因為刪除必要特徵，且未揭露適當的內容而使得揭露不足
EPC 83規範發明說明內容（Claims）應揭露足夠清楚與完整而使得相關技術人員可以據以實施
Article 83
Disclosure of the invention
The European patent application shall disclose the invention in a manner sufficiently clear and complete for it to be carried out by a person skilled in the art.
歐洲專利局判決T 1358/07 - 3.3.01
申請案號碼：98908886.9
發明名稱：一種製作吡硫鹽顆粒的方法
這是一件對歐洲專利局審查核駁提出訴願的案子，該案主要權利範圍包括：
1. A method for producing submicron-sized particles of polyvalent metal salts of pyrithione, characterised by reacting pyrithione or a water-soluble salt of pyrithione and a water-soluble polyvalent metal salt in a pressurised turbulent flow reactor that generates pulverizing forces.
15. A method for producing submicron-sized particles of zinc pyrithione, characterized by reacting a pyrithione or a water-soluble salt of pyrithione and a water-soluble zinc salt selected from the group consisting of zinc sulfate, zinc chloride, zinc acetate, and combinations thereof, in a turbulent flow reactor generating pulverizing forces, said turbulent flow reactor maintained at a pressure of from about 18,000 psi to about 23,000 psi and a temperature of from about 0°C to about 23°C.
歐洲專利局審查時，先認定這幾項權利範圍並不具進步性，認為其中「turbulent flow reactor」所產生的力對製造顆粒並無必要，此reactor對權利範圍並沒有非預期的效果，申請人之後提出訴願，由歐洲訴願委員會審理
在訴願期間，委員會召開口審（oral proceedings），委員會認為上述請求項1, 15並未足夠揭示讓該領域技術人員可以據以實施（it considered that the invention was not sufficiently disclosed for the skilled person to be able to carry it out in its whole extent）
之後經第一次修改，權利範圍變成：
1. A method for producing submicron-sized particles of polyvalent metal salts of pyrithione, characterised by reacting pyrithione or a water-soluble salt of pyrithione and a water-soluble polyvalent metal salt in a pressurised turbulent flow reactor that generates pulverising forces at a pressure of
18,000 psi to 50,000 psi (124,092kPa to 344,700kPa) and a temperature of 0°C to 23°C,
said reaction producing submicron sized particles of pyrithione salt.
13. The method for producing submicron-sized particles of zinc pyrithione, characterised by reacting a pyrithione or a water-soluble salt of pyrithione and a water-soluble zinc salt selected from the group consisting of zinc sulfate, zinc chloride, zinc acetate, and combinations thereof, in a turbulent flow reactor generating pulverising forces, said turbulent flow reactor maintained at a pressure of from about
18,000 psi to 23,000 psi (124,092kPa to 158,563kPa) and a temperature of from about 0°C to 23°C, said reaction producing submicron sized particles of zinc pyrithione.
此次修訂顯然補入了製作時需要的參數與條件，但被認定有不被說明書支持的問題
接著再經第二次修訂，又把其中條件限縮：
1. A method for producing submicron-sized particles of polyvalent metal salts of pyrithione, characterised by reacting pyrithione or a water-soluble salt of pyrithione and a water-soluble polyvalent metal salt in a pressurised turbulent flow reactor that generates pulverising forces at a pressure of
18,000 psi to 23,000 psi (124,092kPa to 158,562kPa) and a temperature of 0°C to 23°C,
said reaction producing submicron sized particles of pyrithione salt, wherein said pressurised turbulent flow reactor comprises:
(i) Baffles placed within said pressurised turbulent flow reactor to perturb the laminar flow of the reactants as they flow through the reactor; or
(ii) A fixed geometry interaction chamber which divides the pressurised reaction mixture into plurality of streams which are then brought together in the reactor to generate said pulverising forces.
13. The method for producing submicron-sized particles of zinc pyrithione, characterised by reacting a pyrithione or a water-soluble salt of pyrithione and a water-soluble zinc salt selected from the group consisting of zinc sulfate, zinc chloride, zinc acetate, and combinations thereof, in a turbulent flow reactor generating pulverising forces, said turbulent flow reactor maintained at a pressure of from about 18,000 psi to 23,000 psi (124,092kPa to 158,563kPa) and a temperature of from about 0°C to 23°C, said reaction producing submicron sized particles of zinc pyrithione, wherein said pressurised turbulent flow reactor comprises:
(i) Baffles placed within said pressurised turbulent flow reactor to perturb the laminar flow of the reactants as they flow through the reactor; or
(ii) A fixed geometry interaction chamber which divides the pressurised reaction mixture into plurality of streams which are then brought together in the reactor to generate said pulverising forces.
在口審期間，申請人又提出再次修訂：
1. The method for producing submicron-sized particles of zinc pyrithione, characterised by reacting a pyrithione or a water-soluble salt of pyrithione and a water-soluble zinc salt selected from the group consisting of zinc sulfate, zinc chloride, zinc acetate, and combinations thereof, in a turbulent flow reactor generating pulverising forces, said turbulent flow reactor maintained at a pressure of from about 18,000 psi to 23,000 psi (124,092kPa to l58,563kPa) and a temperature of from about 0°C to 23°C, said reaction producing submicron sized particles of zinc pyrithione, wherein said pressurised turbulent flow reactor comprises:
a fixed geometry interaction chamber which divides the pressurised reaction mixture into plurality of streams which are then brought together in the reactor to generate said pulverising forces.
此次修訂刪除了特徵『said reaction producing submicron-sized particles of pyrithione salt』，即使申請人在修正後強調這個刪除並未有任何技術意義，且已經揭露足夠的內容，並為說明書所支持，但其中刪減的部份仍造成訴願委員會認定上述範圍並未揭露足夠的技術特徵：
訴願委員會認為刪除這句『said reaction producing submicron-sized particles of pyrithione salt』對此發明是影響粒子大小與反應的功能關聯性，並非沒有技術意義，且解釋上使得本發明反應並不再得出此次微米粒子，使得權利範圍表達的程序不被原始說明書所支持。即便申請人爭辯認為部份未揭露的部份應該是該項技術領域的人可以無歧異達成，甚至提出一些實驗室的作法，但不被認同。訴願委員會認定這裡的問題並非是是否本項技術人員知道如何透過建立亂流（turbulence）與撞擊力，而是是否專利申請案提供了足夠資訊說明如何建立足夠大的亂流而產生足夠大的力來產生該尺度粒子。
因此，根據發明事實，說明書與權利範圍與該發明要解決的問題，並且是否揭露足夠的技術特徵都是重要的議題，而非僅以概念與廣泛的方式撰寫說明書內容就能說服審查委員！
Ron
