An invention is considered to involve an inventive step pursuant to Sec 1 Para 1 of the Austrian Patent Act (which corresponds to Art 56 EPC) if it is obvious to the skilled person based on prior art. This is not already the case when the skilled person could arrive at the invention based on…
Contrary to established case law and practice, the Higher Regional Court of Vienna stayed preliminary injunction proceedings in a patent infringement matter and conducted an oral hearing. The proceedings were stayed until the EPO’s Technical Board of Appeal’s decision, confirming the validity of the patent in suit, was available in writing; the oral hearing was…
The Supreme Court stated that decisions dismissing a request for a stay of proceedings that are within the discretion of the court can generally not be contested according to section 192(2) Austrian Code of Civil Procedure (“ACCP”). This general rule does not apply in cases where the law imposes a mandatory stay of the proceedings….
