Bonum Certa Men Certa

Reader's Article: “Guantanamo Possible in Germany”

German Gitmo



Summary: A reader's contribution to the debate about human rights (or lack thereof) at the European Patent Office (EPO)

In a recent report of Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR), Siegfried Broß, a former judge of the German Constitutional Court expressed concern about the situation at the EPO: “Guantanamo would be possible in Germany.”



"But thanks to EPO vice president Guillaume Minnoye, we all know that the EPO-regime would not even accept the verdict of the Supreme Court of the Netherlands."While the German Minister of Justice, Heiko Maas, did not want to give an interview to Bayerisches Fernsehen, regarding the controversial investigation procedures, the German Federal Justice Ministry wrote: “Germany has called on the President of the EPO repeatedly and urgently to change the rules it has laid down for the investigation procedures in this respect. This has unfortunately not yet happened.”

“Mere requests are too little”, says former federal constitutional judge Siegfried Broß in the BR report. “The Federal Constitutional Court explicitly states that the Federal Republic of Germany may not 'hold out its hand' to acts which violate human rights. From that point of view, Germany as a host country is indeed called upon to act. If you exaggerate a little and think ahead, with the way of thinking that has come to light here, Guantanamo would be possible in Germany. And that cannot be - everybody understands that.”

But thanks to EPO vice president Guillaume Minnoye, we all know that the EPO-regime would not even accept the verdict of the Supreme Court of the Netherlands.

"Mr Battistelli has to go!"The Administrative Council (AC) can and should put an end to the EPO's illegal practice this week. And as the EPO's major host country, Germany has a particular responsibility for the employees. But since the German minister of justice, Heiko Maas, has been conspicuously cautious with (publicly) criticising the EPO regime, it is currently not clear what the position of the German delegation is. Amongst others, the German government had pushed for the current reforms: "The reforms are necessary and partially long overdue.” The reforms were apparently more important for them than the social peace in the Office.

Heise newsticker mentioned that, for the organisation's member states, the EPO is above all a 'cash cow' whose milk should continue flowing: In 2014 the turnover with patents and procedural fees would have been close to 1.6 billion Euros.

In order to keep the 'cash cow' alive, the German delegation must make sure that the EPO's examiners can do their job properly, in order to be able to fulfil the EPC mandate. A return to the rule-of-law is a necessary first step. It is unrealistic that this can be achieved together with president Battistelli, as he is continuously demonstrating.

Mr Battistelli has to go!

Recent Techrights' Posts

Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Wednesday, April 02, 2025
IRC logs for Wednesday, April 02, 2025
Links 03/04/2025: Apple Fined Over Secret Surveillance, "Elegant Writer For A More Civilized Age"
Links for the day
Gemini Links 02/04/2025: Books and Cold Tea
Links for the day
Links 02/04/2025: More Layoffs, Nokia Again Takes Advantage of Illegal and Unconstitutional Patent Court With Nokia Staff as 'Judges'
Links for the day
Links 02/04/2025: Seizures and Returns to Windows of 24 Years Ago
Links for the day
LLM Slop Helps Obscure and Distort News About Layoffs (IBM, GAFAM)
It's hard to find accurate information
Links 02/04/2025: Microsoft Developers Are Threatening to Go on Strike, World Backup Day Noted
Links for the day
Gemini Protocol Has Growing Appeal (the Web Got Too Bloated and Full of LLM Slop)
For any "data plan" with bandwidth limits or "tiers" it would be cheaper to use/browse Geminispace
The Web Can Survive LLM Slop, But Only If We Collectively Shun and Discourage Serial Sloppers
Doing nothing ought not be a possibility
Amid Secret Shut-downs and Mass Layoffs at Microsoft (4 Waves of Layoffs in 3 Months of 2025) Some Microsoft Staff Expected to Go On Strike
workers going on strike
Gemini Links 02/04/2025: No more on Mastodon and Gemini Mention Script in Go
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, April 01, 2025
IRC logs for Tuesday, April 01, 2025
My Motion Disbarring or “Striking Off” Brett Wilson LLP for Enabling Violent Americans Who Try to Crush Microsoft Critics in the United Kingdom by Multiple SLAPPs
"Guns for hire" (for Microsoft people who received Microsoft salaries)
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Hijacked Again by Patent Litigation Industry, as President Cheeto Prioritises Aggressors
The "mafia" has taken over the "industry" and the Federal system (justice and constitutions trampled upon)
Ubuntu Slop and FUD Manufactured With LLMs and Funded (by Oneself) 'Studies'
Slop and FUD are ruining the Web
Gemini Links 01/04/2025: Games and More
Links for the day
Links 01/04/2025: Apple Fined $162M for Privacy Abuses, Disinformation Online a Growing Concern
Links for the day
Why We're Reporting Brett Wilson LLP for Apparently Misusing Their Licence to Protect American Microsofters Who Attack Women
For those who have not been keeping abreast
Newer Press Reports Confirm That Microsoft Shuts Down 'Hey Hi' (AI) Labs Despite All the Hype
The "hey hi" (AI) bubble is not sustainable
Links 01/04/2025: Mass Layoffs at Eidos and "Microsoft Pulls Back on Data Centers" (Demand Lacking); "Racist and Sexist" Slop From Microsoft
Links for the day
Stefano Maffulli and His Microsoft-Funded OSI Staff Are Killing the OSI and Killing "Open Source" (All for Money!)
This is far from over
Gemini Links 01/04/2025: XKCDpunk and worldclock.py
Links for the day
50 Years of Sabotage and a Gut Punch to Computer Science (and Science in General)
Will we get back to science-based computing rather than cult-like following?
Techrights Headlines as Semaphore
"If you are hearing this, thank you"
3 Months in 2025, 4 Waves of Mass Layoffs at Microsoft, Now Offices Shut Down Permanently
"A recent visit by the South China Morning Post confirmed that the office was dark, unoccupied, and had its logo removed."
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, March 31, 2025
IRC logs for Monday, March 31, 2025