Aktenzeichen 1 Ni 20/14 (EP)
Tenor
In der Patentnichtigkeitssache
…
betreffend das europäische Patent 1 019 311
(DE 698 19 353)
hat der 1. Senat (Nichtigkeitssenat) des Bundespatentgerichts auf Grund der mündlichen Verhandlung vom 18. Juni 2015 durch die Präsidentin Schmidt sowie die Richter Prof. Dr. Kortbein, Dipl.-Ing. Schlenk, Dr.-Ing. Krüger und Dipl.-Ing. Univ. Dipl.-Wirtsch.-Ing. (FH) Ausfelder
für Recht erkannt:
I. Die Ansprüche 1, 3, 7, 10 und 11 des europäischen Patents 1 019 311 werden mit Wirkung für das Hoheitsgebiet der Bundesrepublik Deutschland für nichtig erklärt.
II. Die Kosten des Rechtsstreits trägt die Beklagte.
III. Das Urteil ist gegen Sicherheitsleistung in Höhe von 120 % des zu vollstreckenden Betrags vorläufig vollstreckbar.
Tatbestand
1
Die Beklagte ist eingetragene Inhaberin des beim Deutschen Patent- und Markenamt unter dem Aktenzeichen 698 19 353.9 registrierten europäischen Patents EP 1 019 311, dessen Erteilung am 29. Oktober 2003 veröffentlicht wurde. Das Streitpatent ist aus der internationalen Anmeldung PCT/SE98/01556 unter Inanspruchnahme der Priorität der schwedischen Patentanmeldung SE 9703146 vom 1. September 1997 hervorgegangen. Das Patent trägt in der maßgeblichen Verfahrenssprache Englisch die Bezeichnung „A Lifting Carriage“ (Hubwagen). Es umfasst 12 Ansprüche mit einem Hauptanspruch und 11 unmittelbar oder mittelbar auf ihn bezogenen Unteransprüchen. Von der Klägerin sind die Ansprüche 1, 3, 7, 10 und 11 angegriffen worden.
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Sie lauten wie folgt:
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1. A lifting carriage comprising a frame member (2), which comprises a set of wheels (1) provided on the frame member (2) and arranged to enable the movement of the carriage on a base, a carrying member (13), provided on the frame member (2) and extending upwardly therefrom in a direction away from said base, and a lifting member (14), arranged to receive an object to be lifted and displaceably provided on the carrying member (13), wherein the frame member (2) comprises two side pieces (3, 4) connected to each other by at least a first beam member (5), on which the carrying member (13) is provided, and a second beam member (6), characterised in that the second beam member (6) is connected to and arranged beside the carrying member (13) in such a manner that the second beam (6) member supports the carrying member (13) laterally, and that the second beam member (6) is arranged at a distance from the first beam member (5) along a direction perpendicular to the normal moving direction (N) of the lifting carriage and above the first beam member (5) along said direction perpendicular to the normal moving direction (N) of the lifting carriage.
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3. A lifting carriage according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the side pieces (3, 4) and said beam members (5, 6) are arranged in such a way that they form a space delimited in three directions and shaped to enable the receiving of the lifting member (14).
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7. A lifting carriage according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the carrying member (13) is shaped as an elongated bar-like element.
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10. A lifting carriage according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the sidepieces (3, 4) extend at least partly in the normal moving direction of the lifting carriage.
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11. A lifting carriage according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the sidepieces (3, 4) extend essentially in parallel to each other.
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Die Klägerin macht den Nichtigkeitsgrund der fehlenden Patentfähigkeit geltend. Der Gegenstand des Streitpatents sei auf Grund der von ihr eingereichten Entgegenhaltungen nicht neu, zumindest beruhe er nicht auf einer erfinderischen Tätigkeit (Art. II § 6 Abs. 1 Nr. 1 IntPatÜbkG i. V. m. Art. 54 und 56 EPÜ). Sie verweist in diesem Zusammenhang unter anderem auf folgende Druckschriften:
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NiKla6
US 2 558 535
NiKla7
US 5 145 311 A
NiKla8
US 5 502 851 A
NiKla10
DE 35 04 972 A1
NiKla11
DE 82 05 561 U1
NiKla13
JP 63 – 302846 A
NiKla13a
JP 63 – 302846 A (deutsche Übersetzung)
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Die Klägerin beantragt,
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1. das europäische Patent 1 019 311 im Umfang der Ansprüche 1, 3, 7, 10 und 11 mit Wirkung für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland für nichtig zu erklären und
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2. der Beklagten die Kosten des Rechtsstreits aufzuerlegen.
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Die Beklagte beantragt,
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1. die Klage abzuweisen,
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2. hilfsweise das Patent im Umfang der mit Schriftsatz vom 20. April 2015 eingereichten Hilfsanträge 1 und 2 aufrechtzuerhalten,
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3. der Klägerin die Kosten des Verfahrens aufzuerlegen und
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4. das Urteil hinsichtlich der Kosten gegen Sicherheitsleistung für vorläufig vollstreckbar zu erklären.
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Mit Schriftsatz vom 20. April 2015 hat die Beklagte die Hilfsanträge 1 und 2 gestellt. Der geänderte Anspruch 1 nach Hilfsantrag 1 und 2 lautet jeweils wie folgt, wobei die Änderungen gegenüber der erteilten Fassung durch Fettdruck kenntlich gemacht sind:
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Hilfsantrag 1:
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1. A lifting carriage comprising a frame member (2), which comprises a set of wheels (1) provided on the frame member (2) and arranged to enable the movement of the carriage on a base, a carrying member (13), provided on the frame member (2) and extending upwardly therefrom in a direction away from said base, and a lifting member (14), arranged to receive an object to be lifted and displaceably provided on the carrying member (13), wherein the frame member (2) comprises two side pieces (3, 4) connected to each other by at least a first beam member (5), on which the carrying member (13) is provided so that it is avoided that essential portions of the first beam member (5) extend rewardly or forwardly from the carrying member (13), and a second beam member (6), characterised in that the second beam member (6) is connected to and arranged beside the carrying member (13) in such a manner that the second beam (6) member supports the carrying member (13) laterally, and that the second beam member (6) is arranged at a distance from the first beam member (5) along a direction perpendicular to the normal moving direction (N) of the lifting carriage and above the first beam member (5) along said direction perpendicular to the normal moving direction (N) of the lifting carriage.
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Hilfsantrag 2:
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1. A lifting carriage comprising a frame member (2), which comprises a set of wheels (1) provided on the frame member (2) and arranged to enable the movement of the carriage on a base, a carrying member (13), provided on the frame member (2) and extending upwardly therefrom in a direction away from said base, and a lifting member (14), arranged to receive an object to be lifted and displaceably provided on the carrying member (13), wherein the frame member (2) comprises two side pieces (3, 4) connected to each other by at least a first beam member (5), on which the carrying member (13) is provided so that it is standing on an upper surface of the first beam member (5), and a second beam member (6), characterised in that the second beam member (6) is connected to and arranged beside the carrying member (13) in such a manner that the second beam (6) member supports the carrying member (13) laterally, and that the second beam member (6) is arranged at a distance from the first beam member (5) along a direction perpendicular to the normal moving direction (N) of the lifting carriage and above the first beam member (5) along said direction perpendicular to the normal moving direction (N) of the lifting carriage.
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Wegen weiterer Einzelheiten wird auf den Inhalt der Akten Bezug genommen.
