歐洲專利：
曾經討論到歐洲專利範圍的撰寫時提到，...若無必須，權利範圍不應僅限定於說明書或圖示中所標示的技術特徵，且不應直接引用說明書或圖示內容...
相關參考：http://enpan.blogspot.tw/2011/05/epc-rule-43-claimabout-claims-xxxix.html
(6) Except where absolutely necessary, claims shall not rely on references to the description or drawings in specifying the technical features of the invention. In particular, they shall not contain such expressions as "as described in part ... of the description", or "as illustrated in figure ... of the drawings".
...
美國專利：
MPEP 608有段規定如下，其中提到當沒有別的寫法可以定義出發明，權利範圍"可以"引述特定圖示或是表格。
The specification, including any claims, may contain chemical formulas and mathematical equations, but the written description portion of the specification must not contain drawings or flow diagrams. A claim may incorporate by reference to a specific figure or table where there is no practical way to define the invention in words. See MPEP § 2173.05(s). The description portion of the specification may contain tables, but the same tables must not be included in both the drawings as a figure and in the description portion of the specification. Applications filed under 35 U.S.C. 371 are excluded from the prohibition from having the same tables in both the description portion of the specification and drawings. Claims may contain tables either if necessary to conform to 35 U.S.C. 112 or if otherwise found to be desirable. See MPEP § 2173.05(s). When such a patent is printed, however, the table will not be included as part of the claim, and instead the claim will contain a reference to the table number.
中華民國專利：
這裡也留有一點可以圖示表示專利範圍的空間，比如專利審查基準第二篇第1章在「請求項之記載形式」中有云：
...
請求項得記載化學式或數學式，必要時得有表格，但不得附有插圖，且請求項之技術特徵，除絕對必要外，不得以說明書之頁數、行數或圖式、圖式中之符號予以界定，即不得記載「如說明書……部分所述」或「如圖……所示」等類似用語。惟若發明涉及之特定形狀僅能以圖形界定而無法以文字表示時，或化學產物發明之技術特徵僅能以曲線圖或示意圖界定時，請求項得記載「如圖……所示」等類似用語。
...
不過也有國家雖然沒有規定一定要有引用圖示的權利範圍，但當我們對這些國家送件時，代理人會建議需要補入這類權利範圍。這就會想到歐洲專利算是規定要在權利範圍中加入用小括號填入的圖示符號。比如英國專利，實務上會被要求補入圖示相關權利範圍。
英國專利：
在其專利細則中提到一個專利說明書的必要內容中，有關圖示（drawing） 的規定摘要有：
Claim可以引述圖示：
(4) The specification mentioned in section 14(2)(b) must be preceded by the title of the invention and must be set out in the following order—
(a) description;
(b) the claim or claims; and
(c) any drawing referred to in the description or any claim. （這段暗示Claim可以引用圖示）
摘要中需要引用圖示：
(4) Where the specification contains more than one drawing, the abstract must include an indication of the drawing which should accompany the abstract when it is published.
圖示規定中有段話規定不能在權利範圍中"置入"圖式，但這段話不是指不能引述圖示：
19. A drawing must not be included in the description, the claims, the abstract or the request for the grant of a patent.
另有一處提到如果要寫「圖示符號」，則僅能放在說明書或是權利項中。
21. References must only be included in the drawing where they are mentioned in either the description or the claims.
舉幾個例子：
找到一些直接在權利範圍引用圖式的例子，這些有可能確實是無法用文字直接描述技術特徵的情況，比如化學類的專利，其中成份常常用圖示表達。
這件（PCT/US2012/048157）為一種治療頸癌的方法，其中涉及一種HNSCC基因的功能描述，也就直接引用其中圖式，Fig. 22表示一種基因序列：
a) a compound that decreases the function of an HNSCC-associated gene with aberrant gain-of-function; or
b) a compound that increases the function of an HNSCC-associated gene with aberrant loss-of-function
wherein the HNSCC gene is selected from FIG. 22.
Fig. 15為一種胺基酸序列：
27. The method according to claim 25, wherein
at least one of Xi_n is a sequence of 11 contiguous amino acids set forth as amino acids 1-11 in a sequence (X1.n-X14.34 or Xi_n-Xi4_35) of FIG. 15 or
at least one of X i4_34 or Χι4_35 is a sequence of 21 or 22 contiguous amino acids set forth as amino acids 12-32 or 12-33 in a sequence (Xi_n-Xi4_34 or Xi_ii-Xi4_3s) of FIG. 15.
這件（PCT/GB2002/002665）揭露一種氣閥，不是化學相關，不過除了可能是因為英國案的關係，因此權利範圍有直接引用圖示，但其中要表示氣閥啟閉，或許指向圖示也是個方式！
氣閥開啟：
1. A valve assembly (10, 34, 70) which is suitable for controlling the flow of fluid from a fluid storage means, which valve assembly switches between an open position (Fig. 1 , Fig 6) in which fluid can flow through the valve assembly and a closed position (Fig.2, Fig 8) in which fluid is prevented from flowing through the valve assembly, characterised in that the valve assembly switches from the open position (Fig. 1 , Fig 6) to the closed position (Fig. 2, Fig 8) in response to an increase in the rate of flow of fluid through the valve assembly above a predetermined value.
德國案比較少，多半也是多年前的案子，如（PCT/EP2002/001283），其揭露一種抗腫瘤的重組抗體的方法，其中權利範圍引用Fig. 1中的免疫球蛋白核苷酸測序：
2. The nucleic acid of claim 1 further comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding the CDR2 region as shown in Fig . 1 (designated H2) .
3. The nucleic acid of claim 1 or 2 comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding the CDR1 region as shown in Fig . 1 (designated H 1 ) .
4. The nucleic acid of any one of claims 1 -3 wherein the nucleotide acid sequence is as depicted in Fig. 1 .
5. Nucleic acid encoding the antigen-binding site of the light chain of an antibody comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding the CDR3 region as shown in Fig. 1 (designated L3) .
Ron
沒有留言:
張貼留言