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EP0544492

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Extract from the Register of European Patents

EP About this file: EP0544492

EP0544492 - Particulate detergent compositions [Right-click to bookmark this link]
Status	Patent revoked Status updated on 20.02.2009 Database last updated on 11.04.2026
Most recent event Tooltip	12.06.2009	Change - representative	published on 15.07.2009 [2009/29]
Applicant(s)	For:GB IE Unilever PLC Unilever House Blackfriars London Greater London EC4P 4BQ / GB
	For:AT BE CH DE DK ES FR GR IT LI NL PT SE Unilever N.V. Weena 455 3013 AL Rotterdam / NL
	[N/P]
Former [1998/22]	For:GB IE UNILEVER PLC Unilever House Blackfriars London EC4P 4BQ / GB
	For:AT BE CH DE DK ES FR GR IT LI NL PT SE UNILEVER N.V. Weena 455 3013 AL Rotterdam / NL
Former [1995/32]	For:GB IE UNILEVER PLC Unilever House Blackfriars London EC4P 4BQ / GB
	For:AT BE CH DE DK ES FR GR IT LI NL PT SE UNILEVER N.V. Weena 455 NL-3013 AL Rotterdam / NL
Former [1993/22]	For:GB IE UNILEVER PLC Unilever House Blackfriars London EC4P 4BQ / GB
	For:AT BE CH DE DK ES FR GR IT LI NL PT SE UNILEVER N.V. Weena 455 NL-3013 AL Rotterdam / NL
Inventor(s)	01 / Akkermans, Johannes H.M., Unilever Research Vlaardingen Lab., Olivier van Noortlaan 120 NL-3133 AT Vlaardingen / NL
	02 / Chapple, Andrew Paul, Unilever Research Port Sunlight Lab. Quarry Road East, Bebington Wirral, Merseyside L63 3JW / GB
	03 / Emery, William Derek, Unilever Research Port Sunlight Lab. Quarry Road East, Bebington Wirral, Merseyside L63 3JW / GB
	04 / Euser, Huig, Unilever Research Vlaardingen Lab., Olivier van Noortlaan 120 NL-3133 AT Vlaardingen / NL
	05 / Hull, Michael, Unilever Research Port Sunlight Lab., Quarry Road East, Bebington Wirral, Merseyside L63 3JW / GB
	06 / Joyeux, Christophe, Unilever Research Vlaardingen Lab., Olivier van Noortlaan 120 NL-3133 AT Vlaardingen / NL
	07 / Knight, Peter Cory, Unilever Research Port Sunlight Lab., Quarry Road East, Bebington Wirral, Merseyside L63 3JW / GB
	08 / Swinkels, Petrus L.J., Unilever Research Vlaardingen Lab., Olivier van Noortlaan 120 NL-3133 AT Vlaardingen / NL
	[1993/22]
Representative(s)	Rosen Jacobson, Frans Lucas M., et al Unilever Patent Group P.O. Box 137 3130 AC Vlaardingen / NL
	[N/P]
Former [2009/29]	Rosen Jacobson, Frans Lucas M., et al Unilever Patent Group P.O. Box 137 3130 AC Vlaardingen / NL
Former [2008/45]	Rosen Jacobson, Frans Lucas M., et al Unilever N.V. Patent Group P.O. Box 137 3130 AC Vlaardingen / NL
Former [2008/38]	Bristow, Stephen Robert, et al Unilever Patent Group Colworth House Sharnbrook Bedford, MK44 1LQ / GB
Former [2006/28]	Wallace, Sheila Jane, et al Lloyd Wise Commonwealth House, 1-19 New Oxford Street London WC1A 1LW / GB
Former [2006/24]	Elliott, Peter William, et al Unilever Patent Group Colworth House Sharnbrook Bedford, MK44 1LQ / GB
Former [2000/23]	Waldren, Robin Michael, et al Lloyd Wise, Treager & Co., Commonwealth House, 1-19 New Oxford Street London WC1A 1LW / GB
Former [1999/40]	Lamb, John Baxter, et al MARKS & CLERK, 57-60 Lincoln's Inn Fields London WC2A 3LS / GB
Former [1993/22]	Fransella, Mary Evelyn, et al Unilever PLC Patent Division Colworth House Sharnbrook Bedford MK44 1LQ / GB
Application number, filing date	92310721.3	24.11.1992
	[1993/22]
Priority number, date	GB19910025035	26.11.1991 Original published format: GB 9125035
	GB19920001059	17.01.1992 Original published format: GB 9201059
	[1993/22]
Filing language	EN
Procedural language	EN
Publication	Type:	A1 Application with search report
	No.:	EP0544492
	Date:	02.06.1993
	Language:	EN
	[1993/22]
	Type:	B1 Patent specification
	No.:	EP0544492
	Date:	27.05.1998
	Language:	EN
	[1998/22]
Search report(s)	(Supplementary) European search report - dispatched on:	EP	11.03.1993
Classification	IPC:	C11D17/06, C11D3/12, C11D1/83	[1993/22]
	CPC:	C11D3/128 (EP); C11D1/83 (EP); C11D11/0082 (EP); C11D17/065 (EP); C11D1/146 (EP); C11D1/72 (EP)
Designated contracting states	AT, BE, CH, DE, DK, ES, FR, GB, GR, IE, IT, LI, NL, PT, SE [1993/22]
Title	German:	Teilchenförmige Waschmittelzusammensetzungen	[1993/22]
	English:	Particulate detergent compositions	[1993/22]
	French:	Compositions détergents sous forme particulaire	[1993/22]
Examination procedure	08.11.1993	Examination requested [1994/01]
	08.07.1996	Despatch of a communication from the examining division (Time limit: M06)
	08.01.1997	Reply to a communication from the examining division
	18.02.1997	Despatch of a communication from the examining division (Time limit: M04)
	10.06.1997	Reply to a communication from the examining division
	22.10.1997	Despatch of communication of intention to grant (Approval: No)
	17.11.1997	Despatch of communication of intention to grant (Approval: later approval)
	03.12.1997	Communication of intention to grant the patent
	07.02.1998	Fee for grant paid
	07.02.1998	Fee for publishing/printing paid
Opposition(s)	Opponent(s)	01 18.02.1999 02.03.1999 ADMISSIBLE Henkel AG & Co. KGaA VTP Patente 40191 Düsseldorf / DE
		02 19.02.1999 15.02.2007 ADMISSIBLE The Procter & Gamble Company One Procter & Gamble Plaza Cincinnati, OHIO 45202 / US Opponent's representative Samuels, Lucy Alice Gill Jennings & Every LLP The Broadgate Tower 20 Primrose Street London EC2A 2ES / GB
		[N/P]
	Former [2008/35]
	Opponent(s)	01 18.02.1999 02.03.1999 ADMISSIBLE Henkel AG & Co. KGaA VTP Patente 40191 Düsseldorf / DE
		02 19.02.1999 15.02.2007 ADMISSIBLE The Procter & Gamble Company One Procter & Gamble Plaza Cincinnati, OHIO 45202 / US Opponent's representative Samuels, Lucy Alice Gill Jennings & Every LLP Broadgate House 7 Eldon Street London EC2M 7LH / GB
	Former [2007/16]
	Opponent(s)	01 18.02.1999 02.03.1999 ADMISSIBLE HENKEL KGaA VTP (Patente) 40191 Düsseldorf / DE
		02 19.02.1999 15.02.2007 ADMISSIBLE The Procter & Gamble Company One Procter & Gamble Plaza Cincinnati, OHIO 45202 / US Opponent's representative Samuels, Lucy Alice Gill Jennings & Every LLP Broadgate House 7 Eldon Street London EC2M 7LH / GB
	Former [1999/15]
	Opponent(s)	01 18.02.1999 Henkel KGaA VTP (Patente) 40191 Düsseldorf / DE
		02 19.02.1999 The Procter & Gamble Company One Procter & Gamble Plaza Cincinnati, OHIO 45202 / US Opponent's representative Lawrence, Peter Robin Broughton GILL JENNINGS & EVERY, Broadgate House, 7 Eldon Street London EC2M 7LH / GB
	13.04.1999	Invitation to proprietor to file observations on the notice of opposition
	14.10.1999	Reply of patent proprietor to notice(s) of opposition
	24.01.2001	Date of oral proceedings
	07.02.2001	Despatch of minutes of oral proceedings
	07.02.2001	Despatch of communication that the patent will be revoked
	31.01.2006	Date of oral proceedings
	27.02.2006	Despatch of interlocutory decision in opposition
	27.02.2006	Despatch of minutes of oral proceedings
	03.12.2008	Legal effect of revocation of patent [2009/13]
Appeal following opposition	10.04.2006	Appeal received No. T0528/06
	08.06.2006	Statement of grounds filed
	03.12.2008	Result of appeal procedure: revocation of the patent
	03.04.2001	Appeal received No. T0397/01
	18.06.2001	Statement of grounds filed
	14.12.2004	Result of appeal procedure: continuation of opposition procedure
	03.12.2008	Date of oral proceedings
	11.12.2008	Minutes of the oral proceedings despatched
	14.12.2004	Date of oral proceedings
	03.01.2005	Minutes of the oral proceedings despatched
Fees paid	Renewal fee
	21.11.1994	Renewal fee patent year 03
	21.11.1995	Renewal fee patent year 04
	15.11.1996	Renewal fee patent year 05
	13.11.1997	Renewal fee patent year 06
Opt-out from the exclusive Tooltip competence of the Unified Patent Court	See the Register of the Unified Patent Court for opt-out data
	Responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or quality of the data displayed under the link provided lies entirely with the Unified Patent Court.
Lapses during opposition Tooltip	AT	27.05.1998
	BE	27.05.1998
	CH	27.05.1998
	GR	27.05.1998
	LI	27.05.1998
	NL	27.05.1998
	DK	27.08.1998
	PT	27.08.1998
	SE	27.08.1998
	IE	24.11.1998
	[2003/45]
Former [2003/07]	AT	27.05.1998
	BE	27.05.1998
	CH	27.05.1998
	GR	27.05.1998
	LI	27.05.1998
	NL	27.05.1998
	PT	27.08.1998
	SE	27.08.1998
	IE	24.11.1998
Former [2001/23]	AT	27.05.1998
	BE	27.05.1998
	CH	27.05.1998
	GR	27.05.1998
	LI	27.05.1998
	PT	27.08.1998
	SE	27.08.1998
	IE	24.11.1998
Former [2000/27]	AT	27.05.1998
	BE	27.05.1998
	CH	27.05.1998
	LI	27.05.1998
	PT	27.08.1998
	SE	27.08.1998
	IE	24.11.1998
Former [1999/32]	AT	27.05.1998
	BE	27.05.1998
	CH	27.05.1998
	LI	27.05.1998
	PT	27.08.1998
	SE	27.08.1998
Former [1999/27]	AT	27.05.1998
	BE	27.05.1998
	CH	27.05.1998
	LI	27.05.1998
	SE	27.08.1998
Former [1999/01]	AT	27.05.1998
	CH	27.05.1998
	LI	27.05.1998
	SE	27.08.1998
Former [1998/50]	CH	27.05.1998
	LI	27.05.1998
	SE	27.08.1998
Former [1998/47]	SE	27.08.1998
Documents cited:	Search	[X] EP0364881 (HENKEL KGAA et al.) [X]
		[X] US4406808 (GANGWISCH WILLIAM J et al.) [X]
		[A] EP0439316 (UNILEVER PLC et al.) [A]
		[A] EP0337330 (HENKEL KGAA et al.) [A]
		[A] EP0200953 (HENKEL KGAA et al.) [A]

The EPO accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of data originating from other authorities; in particular, it does not guarantee that it is complete, up to date or fit for specific purposes.