08.07.17
Posted in Europe, Patents at 5:35 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Summary: A look into the background of António Campinos, why he was born in France, and why his father (Jorge Campinos, who published the above book) left Portugal
EARLIER today we (re)published SUEPO's translation of an article that claims António Campinos may be the next President of the EPO. This fits numerous predictions made here last year, based on informed circles. Inside and outside the EPO many people expect Campinos to receive the ‘crown’, along with a pay rise.
“Inside and outside the EPO many people expect Campinos to receive the ‘crown’, along with a pay rise.”Campinos is described as Portuguese, but he was born in France. He is believed to be a French national. Looking at public information about the past of the Campinos family, one of our readers prepared the following report. The main riddle/question was, does Mr. Campinos have dual citizenship (Portuguese and French)?
The short answer to this question is: we don’t know.
It’s an interesting proposition and it’s certainly plausible.
But there is no definite proof either way.
It’s not uncommon for those in the upper echelons of international organisations like the EPO to have dual citizenship.
For example Pantelis “Paul” Kyriakides who served as a Vice-President of the EPO under Ingo Kober and Alain Pompidou is known to have dual British and Cypriot citizenship. Kyriakides was was born in Kyrenia, Cyprus, in 1949, grew up in Cyprus and completed his education in Britain. He joined the UK Patent Office in 1976 and was transferred to the EPO in 1981. After being Principal Director in the technical fields of mechanics and electricity/physics, he was appointed Vice-President of the EPO at the end of 1999. Due to his British citizenship he had to resign as Vice-President when Alison Brimelow took over because EPO Vice-Presidents are excluded from having the same nationality as the President.
“During his period in exile Jorge Campinos was the international secretary of the Portuguese Socialist Action and a co-founder of the Portuguese Socialist Party in 1973.”
–AnonymousAnother example is the current Vice-President of DG4, Željko Topić, who is rumoured to have dual Croatian and Bosnian citizenship because he was born and educated in Banja Luka (Bosnia and Herzegovina).
Getting back to António Campinos of the EUIPO, the following is known for certain:
António-Serge de Pinho Campinos, to give him his full name, was born in Poitiers (France) on 24 October 1968. This is confirmed by the record of his appointment as President of the EUIPO (formerly OHIM) published in the Official Journal of the EU in June 2010.
His father was Joaquim Jorge de Pinho Campinos (usually shortened to Jorge Campinos) who was a prominent figure in Portuguese politics from the 1960′s until his untimely death in a motor accident in 1993. [photo at the top/left is of António Campinos's father, Jorge]
In the course of his political activities as a student, Campinos Senior came into conflict with the Salazar dictatorship in Portugal and was forced into political exile.
He lived in France for 14 years until his return to Portugal in 1974 following the “Carnation Revolution”.
During his period in exile Jorge Campinos was the international secretary of the Portuguese Socialist Action and a co-founder of the Portuguese Socialist Party in 1973.
The following translation of a Portuguese biographical note gives more information about Campinos Senior. Original Portuguese is at casacomum.org.
Jorge Campinos
Joaquim Jorge de Pinho Campinos was born in Lobito (Angola) on June 30, 1937.
After completing his secondary studies at the Liceu de Sá da Bandeira in Angola, he joined the Faculty of Law of Lisbon.
He was leader of the student organisation “Home of the Students of the Empire” (1959-1960) and a militant member of the MPLA (People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola).
He was exiled in Morocco and then in Poitiers, where he completed his law and political science courses.
As Doctor and Professor of Law in Poitiers, he also coordinated various courses of comparative political systems and Public International Law, at the universities of Tours, Limoges and the Sorbonne. He was also director of the International Center and International Relations at The Hague Academy of International Law.
He joined the Portuguese Socialist Action and became one of the founders of the Socialist Party (PS) in Germany in 1973.
Following the 25 of April of 1974, having been in constant contact with Mário Soares, he returned to Portugal.
In the PS, besides being a member of the National Commission and the Political Commission, he was a member of the National Secretariat and the Secretariat of the Organization.
He was Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in the Second, Third and Fourth Provisional Governments, Minister of Foreign Trade in the Sixth Provisional Government, and Minister without portfolio in the First Constitutional Government.
He joined the Portuguese delegation in the negotiations with PAIGC, with a view to recognizing the independence of Guinea and Sao Tome and Principe. [Note: PAIGC = African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde]
He was a Member of the Constituent Assembly, the Assembly of the Republic and the European Parliament (1987).
He was also Judge Counselor of the Constitutional Court (1982-1985), Member of the European Commission on Human Rights in the Council of Europe (1984-1990) and Director of the Legal Service of the European Parliament.
He died in a car accident in Mozambique in 1993.
Jorge Campinos was married to Maryvonne Campinos who is the mother of António-Serge de Pinho Campinos.
Not much is known about Maryvonne Campinos but it is understood that she is French.
“Jorge Campinos was married to Maryvonne Campinos who is the mother of António-Serge de Pinho Campinos.”
–AnonymousIt is reported that she was a student of the controversial French philosopher, resistance fighter and communist author, Roger Garaudy (1913 – 2012).
Garaudy taught at the University of Poitiers from 1969-1972 during the time that Jorge Campinos was based there.
All of this makes it plausible that Campinos Junior could have dual Portuguese-French citizenship. But so far there is no definite proof of this.
“Being born in France would presumably entitle him to French citizenship.”
–AnonymousIn an official resume from 2014 Antonio Campinos claims to be “a native of Portugal”. However, this does not tally with the information published in the Official Journal of the EU which shows that he was actually born in Poitiers in France.
Being born in France would presumably entitle him to French citizenship. He may even have acquired this automatically if his mother was also born in France.
But it’s important to emphasise that this is just speculation because there is no documented proof that he does have French citizenship. █
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Posted in Europe, Patents at 4:44 pm by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Running to Munich, then not showing up for trials (in spite of summons)
Summary: The relevance and possible implications for Željko Topić (Vice-President at the European Patent Office) amid various lawsuits over corruption in Croatia, his home country
THIS series has thus far (see parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 if still new to this series) described the nature of Croatian corruption that seemingly benefited Lufthansa at the expense of Croatians. The scandal is well known in Croatia; television networks and newspapers have long covered that. Today we continue to explain, both in English and German, the role of the EPO and the resultant questions that must arise. German media — just like the German government — is reluctant to touch this subject and it’s easy to see why. It may signal systemic corruption which goes all the way up to the top.
We finally arrive at the part about immunity/impunity — an aspect made particularly precarious at the EPO due to Battistelli and his cohorts.
Although Željko Topić, who is facing very serious accusations at this very moment, claims to enjoy international immunity along with his accomplices, on account of his present position at the EPO, legal experts are of the opinion that not only could he be arrested by the German police but that he could be permanently deported from Germany and subjected to legal proceedings. The experts justify this by reference to UN conventions on diplomatic immunity according to which the employees of EPO have no claim to such immunity.
In the event of a court case being opened against Željko Topić and a possible final verdict against him, he could eventually be called upon to repay all the funds acquired at the EPO. It is estimated that this could run to a total of as much as one million Euros on the basis of his employment contract of May 2012.
Obwohl sich der in diesem Augenblich schwer angeklagte Željko Topić genau wie seine Komplizen auf internationale Immunität beruft, welche seine jetzige Arbeitsstelle bei EPO berücksichtigen soll, sind Juraexperten der Meinung, daß ihm nicht nur eine Verhaftung durch die deutsche Polizei, sondern auch eine dauerhafte Abschiebung aus Deutschland und ein Gerichtsverfahren drohen. Die Experten begründen dies damit, daß laut UN-Konventionen die Angestellten von EPO kein Recht auf die geforderte Immunität haben.
Im Falle der Eröffnung eines Gerichtsverfahrens gegen Željko Topić und einer möglichen rechtskräftigen Verurteilung kann er zur Rückerstattung aller bei der EPO erworbenen Finanzmittel aufgefordert werden. Nach Schätzungen handelt es sich hierbei um einen Betrag von einer Million Euro, welcher sich aus dem Arbeitsvertrag vom Mai 2012 ergibt. █
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Posted in Europe, Patents at 5:48 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Battistelli’s days are numbered
Summary: Translation of one among several recent articles in which António Campinos is named as a likely successor of Battistelli
THE OTHER DAY SUEPO linked to this article about the EPO, so we considered it quite likely that a translation was on its way. Well, that has indeed just happened and new/important details emerge in the article — facts or views we have highlighted (in yellow) in the translation below:
Wanted: European Patent Office boss with social skills
By Thomas Magenheim, 31 July 2017 – 15:03
The mood at the European Patent Office is bad. The successor to the President in office, Benoit Battistelli must be one thing above all else: Someone who can approach the staff – and come to terms with them.
Frenchman Benoit Battistelli stays at the top of the European Patent Office until the middle of next year. Photo: dpa
Munich – Job offers like these do not normally appear in newspapers. The European Patent Office in Munich is looking for a new President to succeed controversial Frenchman Benoit Battistelli, whose contract runs out in mid-2018. Applications can be made to the Administrative Council, as the highest supervisory body at the Office, until 14 September. The hunt for a new leader at the authority is on – by way of adverts in leading European newspapers and journals, with rather striking wording for the job description. It casts a spotlight on the conditions that have come about under Battistelli’s autocratic reign in office. The new President must come with a marked ability to enter into and maintain a social dialogue, cited as one of the main criteria for the appointment. Other decisive requirements are negotiating skills and a talent for communication and public relations. Also of advantage would be some practical experience in patent affairs. But that requirement actually seems to take something
of a back seat in comparison with those referred to first.
Wanted above all: A peacemaker
The way things look, what the supreme protector of intellectual property in Europe needs above all is a peacemaker, who can restore calm to the Office. And this international authority, with headquarters in Munich, really could use someone like that. Battistelli is not exactly known for his peaceful approach. The Frenchman, now 67, was appointed as head of the Patent Office in March 2010, and since then there have been moments when it looked far from certain that he would last until the end of his time in office. The specialist Website for jurists, Juve, recently conducted a survey among 168 international technology concerns and major patent applicants involved with the European Patent Office, and the result was hardly flattering for Battistelli. More than half of the big Patent Office clients wanted the Frenchman to resign. Large sections of the workforce and the in-house union Suepo, which he has forced to its knees, have been pushing for this for years. Among other things, the 67-year-old has fired three leading union members and a patent judge, under questionable circumstances, as well as having staff monitored by using spyware. Staff members have even been prohibited from holding a demonstration.
A former judge at the Federal Constitutional Court has found Battistelli’s behaviour illegal, as too did a Dutch court, but Battistelli ignored them both, citing the independence of his Office. Fear of being thrown out means that now no-one dares speak up on behalf of the staff any longer. The same applies to being ready to undertake union organization. Anyone who wishes to communicate with the in-house union Suepo must do so through a lawyer. A new Office boss with social skills is urgently needed.
Christoph Ernst from the Federal Ministry of Justice is new Administrative Council leader
One indicator that a peacemaker is being sought is also the choice of the new leader of the Administrative Council. This position has just been awarded to Christoph Ernst, jurist and head of a ministerial department at the Federal Ministry of Justice. Ernst is regarded as a moderate Battistelli critic and intimately familiar with the situation within the Office. It will be October when he takes over from the still serving leader of the Council, Jesper Kongstad, who is seen as a close Battistelli confidante. It seems then that the course is already set for a new management style in the organizational body which selects the new Patent Office President.
When the administrative councils of the 38 European Member States meet in October, they want to be able to produce a list of candidates. By December, the new Office boss should then also be chosen. But this will not be easy, because it needs a three-quarters majority. Moreover, the Council itself has recently not really been unified when it comes to management style. Until recently a majority backed Battistelli, and every country, regardless of how large or important, has only one vote. The Battistelli appointment took a total of 30 rounds of voting, as some of those involved remember.
Antonio Campinos from Portugal has a good chance of being Battistelli’s successor
Being touted as a front runner is Antonio Campinos, if he casts his hat into the ring. The Portuguese is the executive in office of the European Union Intellectual Property Office in Alicante, and he knows what may be waiting for him. An annual salary of some 300 000 Euro could tip the scales, even if the job does not promise to be any easier. Among the staff, in any event, hopes are being nurtured of a more socially compatible management style, even if at present nobody dares say so out loud.
Campinos is apparently French, not just Portuguese. █
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Posted in Europe, Patents at 5:16 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz
Summary: A look at what was involved in passage of a Croatian trademark to Lufthansa as explained several years ago
THE EPO may be in the midst of a serious scandal. It may, in fact, be a facilitator of that scandal. For the uninitiated, here are previous parts in this series:
- part 1: EPO, Lufthansa, and the German Government – Part I: Further Information About Andrej Matijević
- part 2: EPO, Lufthansa, and the German Government – Part II: Andrej Matijević and Željko Topić
- part 3: EPO, Lufthansa, and the German Government – Part III: DZIV and EPO Nepotism
- part 4: EPO, Lufthansa, and the German Government – Part IV: Tena Mišetić, Ivan Mišetić, Croatia Airlines, Lufthansa, and Deutsche Telekom
- part 5: EPO, Lufthansa, and the German Government – Part V: Lufthansa and Croatia Airlines Overlap
Now start the parts about the ‘monkey business’.
As already mentioned, the suspected criminal duo Topić – Matijević unlawfully colluded to change the entry for the internationally protected trademark of Air Plus in the official state register on March 3, 2009 (as shown by the annexed document #8). This was done by a preliminary administrative decision of the DZIV. After the first media reports, a complaint relating to the alleged offences was filed with the DORH (Croatian Public Prosecutor’s Office) and out of fear of prosecution, the duo Topić – Matijević reversed the unlawful change of the trademark in the state register. This action was revealed by an inspection on 30 July 2009 in the official register of DZIV (as shown by the annexed document #9).
For all the above reasons, and also because of the evident criminal activity having an international dimension, the owner of the Air Plus trademark wrote to the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, via the German embassy in Zagreb (annexed document #10).
Wie bereits angeführt, hat das kriminelle Duo Topić – Matijević gesetzwidrig das offizielle Staatsregister des international geschützten Markenzeichens von Air Plus am 3. März 2009 geändert (#8. Nachweis in der Beilage des Textes). Dies geschah durch einen nicht rechtskräftigen Bescheid des DZIV. Nach ersten Veröffentlichungen in Medien, erhobener Klage wegen der Straftat bei DORH RH (Staatsanwaltschaft der Republik Kroatien) und aus Angst vor Strafverfolgung, hat das Duo Topić – Matijević die gesetzwidrige Änderung des Markenzeichens im Staatsregister in den Urzustand gebracht. Erkennbar wurde dieser Vorgang durch eine am 30. Juli 2009 vorgenommene Einsichtnahme ins offizielle Register von DZIV (#9. Nachweis in der Beilage des Textes).
Aus allen genannten Gründen und auch wegen der offensichtlichen Kriminaltat von internationaler Größe, hat sich der Inhaber des Markenzeichens Air Plus über die deutsche Botschaft in Zagreb an die deutsche Bundeskanzlerin Frau Angela Merkel gewendet (#10. Schreiben im Anhang). █
Document #8 (full version)
Document #9 (full version)
Document #10 (full version)
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