Opinion of Advocate General Van Gerven delivered on 8 July 1992

1 Original language: Dutch.

2 Allen and Hanburys Ltd v Generics (UK) Ltd and Cist Brocades NV and Others and the Comptroller General of Patents [1986] RPC 203, esp. 248 and 249.

3 Case 434/85 Allen and Hanburys v Generics [1988] ECR 1245.

4 Case C-30/90 [1992] ECR I-829

5 Case 51/75 Emi Records v CBS United Kingdom [1976] ECR 811.

6 Sec also the judgments in Case 225/78 Bouhelier [1979] ECR 3151, paragraph 6, and in Case 270/80 Polydor [1982] ECR 329, paragraph 18.

7 Case C-235/89 Commission v Italy [1992] ECR I-777.

8 Judgment in Case 8/74 DassonvilU [1974] ECR 837.

9 The Spanish Government sutes in its observations to the Court that pharmaceutical products will be patentable in Spain as of 7 October 1992.

10 Judgment in Case 187/80 Merck v Stepbar and Exler [1981] ECR 2063.