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You are here: BAILII >> Databases >> United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office Decisions >> Aeomica Inc. (Patent) [2005] UKIntelP o19705 (13 July 2005)
URL: http://www.bailii.org/uk/cases/UKIntelP/2005/o19705.html
Cite as: [2005] UKIntelP o19705
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Aeomica Inc. [2005] UKIntelP o19705 (13 July 2005)
For the whole decision click here: o19705
Patent decision
- BL number
- O/197/05
- Concerning rights in
- GB 0201681.4
- Hearing Officer
- Mr P Back
- Decision date
- 13 July 2005
- Person(s) or Company(s) involved
- Aeomica Inc.
- Provisions discussed
- PA 1977, Section 1(1)(b)
- Keywords
- Inventive step
- Related Decisions
- [2005] UKIntelP o17105, [2005] UKIntelP o17005
Summary
The application relates to a human polypeptide, named RALGDS-like protein 3 (RGL3), which is a guanine nucleotide exchange factor for the small GTPase Ral and a downstream effector for both Rit and Ras, and is thought to be a regulator of cellular proliferation and transformation. Further claims relate to standard features or applications of polypeptides and polynucleotides which would be considered when any protein and/or gene is identified. Claims to the polypeptide and polynucleotide were held to lack inventiveness over the prior art disclosed in two documents. Both documents disclosed the RGL3 protein from the mouse and were used to infer a function for human RGL3 based on similarities within certain domains and in overall structural organization. Given the information contained in the cited documents, together with the common general knowledge of the skilled man, it was considered obvious to look for RGL3 orthologs in species other than the mouse and therefore the identification of the human RGL3 sequences did not involve any inventive step.