And the Centre for International Intellectual Property Studies tactlessly enough gloats about it

Summary: The Centre for International Intellectual Property Studies (CEIPI), based in the same city where Battistelli's violations of human rights are to be looked at, is picking a known crook to be the chair

TUCKED into the EPO's Web site late on a Friday was what reads like a disclosure (warning: epo.org link) rather than news.

We remind readers that Belgian delegates are alleged to have struck a back room agreement with Battistelli in what seemed like a vote-buying exercise from the crooked Frenchman. António Campinos' successor at EU-IPO might be a Belgian who used to work for the EPO.

So what did the EPO say so late on a Friday? "Mr Battistelli’s election was announced on 28 November 2017, and his mandate will be for a three-year term. He succeeds António Campinos, Executive Director of the European Union Intellectual Property Office, who has chaired the Council since 2013. Former holders of the position also include the EPO’s first president, Bob van Benthem, and also Ingo Kober, who was appointed to the position in 2007."

So the CEIPI basically had Battistellli swapping seats with António Campinos, reminding us that EPO is rife with nepotism and will continue to be so. Did Campinos and Battistelli coordinate this in advance and if so, is this why Battistelli lobbies so hard for Campinos?

What's even more troubling is, CEIPI put a thug and crook in a position of power, from which he can continue to harm European interests and destroy the reputation of yet more institutions.

Meanwhile, the patent quality at the EPO continues to sink and working conditions deteriorate (it worsens every month) as staff gets squeezes. The following comment was posted anonymously yesterday:

Things are getting really weird at the EPO lately. The production objectives for 2018 are up another +10% over 2017. To help the examiners achieve that target, 2 days public holidays are cut, classification investments and the training and travel budget for experienced examiners are down to zero and directors have been instructed to reject requests for parental leave. Note that the directors who objected last year are simply out of a job. Also: examiners will be moved from single rooms to double occupancy and the rest of the building shall be rented out. One can only wonder what is in for 2019.

If someone can pass us more information about it, we would greatly appreciate it. ⬆