Bonum Certa Men Certa

At the EPO, Lawlessness Has Become “a New Normal”

I'll let you off this time... and this time...



Summary: Without as much as a real consultation with those who are impacted (by the EPO's gross infringements) the management of the EPO rushes ahead again, enjoying zero oversight, no legal review, and no accountability or scrutiny of any kind

Days ago SUEPO linked to this article about the 'New Normal' at the EPO (it now contains 12 comments and no further comments can be accepted). As we noted months ago, "[u]sing the typical euphemisms, which have become all but familiar, the crooked management of the EPO is looking to retroactively justify its violations of the law" and days ago we added (on the same subject) that "[u]nder the cover of 'new normal', Europe’s second-largest institution crushes the law and crushes its own staff..."



Metronome: We obey the law; We're above the lawNow according to the staff representatives (already partly besieged by António Campinos; both Benoît Battistelli and Campinos blacklisted SUEPO), they aren't allowed to play a role at all. It's just a 'box-ticking' exercise, as EPO staff representatives habitually call it. It's supposed to give the false impression that the staff played a role in shaping those policies and yesterday the 'news' section of the EPO's Web site gave the false impression that stakeholders play a role. (warning: epo.org link)

"...the autocrats who run the Office don't give a damn about staff's input; their agenda is guided by mega-corporations and plutocrats, not 'mere' examiners."Someone has kindly passed to us the latest letter, dated 4 days ago, in which the Central Staff Committee of the EPO said: "In his intranet announcement of 18 March 2021, the President informed you (and us) that he would include the Staff Representation in the consultation process before the draft on “New Normal” is finalised (only). This is unsettling. In this open letter, the Central Staff Committee (CSC) recalls that the Staff Representation remains his main social partner (and his only statutory partner). We will do our utmost to contribute to the shaping of “New Normal” in the interest of staff and for a sustainable Organisation. We are waiting for him and his Administration to be up to “one of the greatest challenges [our Office] has probably ever encountered in its history” and finally start the dialogue on the changes that will most impact the working conditions of staff in the years to come."

If one looks at the actual letter, it's phrased more diplomatically than that and it's probably asking for the impossible; the autocrats who run the Office don't give a damn about staff's input; their agenda is guided by mega-corporations and plutocrats, not 'mere' examiners.

Here's the content of the letter:

European Patent Office | 80298 MUNICH | GERMANY

Mr António Campinos President of the EPO

ISAR - R.1081

OPEN LETTER

Reference: sc21048cl-0.3.1/1.3.1 Date: 16.04.2021

“Towards a New Normal” orientation document
The Staff Representation is ready for dialogue



Dear Mr President

Thank you for your reply of 31 March 2021 to our letter of 15 February. You refer to the New Normal orientation document, which was published on 18 March on the EPO intranet and made available to the Staff Representation on the same day. Despite the fact that it omits details, the New Normal orientation document clearly hints towards a massive change and restructuring of our entire Organisation. The working conditions of all staff are at stake and the entire workforce at the EPO is affected.

Consequently, we perceive your statement to include the Staff Representation in the consultation process, before [the draft] is finalised as unsettling. We request that the social dialogue be immediately started in order to discuss all relevant topics. A fruitful dialogue is essential in order to reach a common understanding on the “New Normal”, which is a prerequisite before addressing the detailed elements, as you put it in your letter. A postponement of the discussion with the Staff Representation until near completion of the document would be counterproductive for the project.

In the interest of the EPO staff, for the good-functioning of the Office and for the benefit of the Organisation, we consider that the following non-exhaustive list of topics needs to be discussed with us as a matter of urgency, and in the appropriate level of detail:

- Digitisation of the work processes (e.g. Minimum viable product (MVP) approach) - Building policy (e.g. definition of workspaces, health-related spaces and installations, etc.) - Teleworking - Working conditions (all topics linked to the Service Regulations affected by the New Normal) - One EPO community in the context of physical distances and remote working

We, the Staff Representation, remain your main social partner (and your only statutory partner). We will do our utmost to contribute to the shaping of “New Normal” in the interest of staff and for a sustainable Organisation. We are waiting for you and your Administration to be up to “one of the greatest challenges [our Office] has probably ever encountered in its history” and finally start the dialogue on the changes that will most impact the working conditions of staff in the years to come. We are ready.

Yours sincerely,

Alain Dumont Chairman of the Central Staff Committee


There's probably lots more to come on this topic in days/weeks to come. The EPO is doing illegal things and the media brushes many scandals aside, in effect acting in collaboration (or complicity) with the Office. All those human rights and labour rights abuses wouldn't have been possible if it weren't for the corruption of Europe's press (some of which used to cover those sorts of things, but not anymore).

Recent Techrights' Posts

The Register MS is Still Being Paid to Participate in the "AI" Ponzi Scheme Which Will Crash the Economy
The Register MS is hoping to get lucky by tricking people into a scam
Evidence Contradicting Microsoft's Non-Denying Denials and Expectation of Many Layoffs Soon
"Microsoft has had this constant drip of layoffs for months."
At Least 3 Richard Stallman Talks in Europe Confirmed So Far, Next Week in Rome There's Another
Dr. Stallman has not announced this yet
 
Links 07/10/2025: EU' Chat Control is Back, US Cracks Down on Democracy
Links for the day
Techrights Pursues Justice and Truth Because, Without Those, Society Descends Into Chaos
most people reject dogma and pseudoscience
Upcoming Talks by Richard Stallman in Helsinki, Göteborg, and Rome
Join with him and share the software
Something Bad is Happening in the Open Source Initiative (OSI)
The latest OSI blog post is from a Microsoft operative and a few weeks ago the Executive Director left
TLS 1.3 Dominates Geminispace (99% of Known Capsules)
it's nowadays safe to assume almost every capsule can handle TLS 1.3
Why soylentnews.org Has Been Having Technical Difficulties Lately
The network has been going up and down quite a lot this past week
A Statement Against Violence
The facts are on our side
They've Run Out of Things to Rebrand or Label as "AI"
The next few years will be interesting because if Microsoft lays off tens of thousands of workers each year, there won't be much left except mountains of debt and dying brands
Richard Stallman Confirms His Talk in Göteborg This Coming Friday
"The hosts say that the list will not be given to the state"
Most of the "Linux" Results This Morning in Google News Are LLM Slop From the Same Slopfarm, Plagiarising Phoronix
The main question is, does Google even care at this point?
Gemini Links 07/10/2025: Civil War and "Goodbye Web"
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, October 06, 2025
IRC logs for Monday, October 06, 2025
The "AI Revolution" is Going Very Well, Right?
money that does not exist and alleged potential that is pure fiction
Links 06/10/2025: Scam Altman Himself Admits He Runs a Scam Based on a Bubble, US Administration Adopts “War From Within” Narrative to Crush Opposition/Dissent
Links for the day
Slopwatch: Fake Ubuntu 'Articles' and Google News Helps People Who Plagiarise Phoronix Using LLMs
Michael Larabel can't possibly be happy about that
6,000 Pages/Articles a Year
Today in one month from now the site turns 19
When Things Become So Ubiquitous That They're Almost Nameless
The notion or the concept of software freedom isn't tied to any particular brand or project, so it should still resonate
IDG Seems to Have Abandoned Sandra Henry Stocker's UNIX/Linux Column
Unless we hear otherwise or see some update/s, this may mark another death blow from IDG
Gemini Links 06/10/2025: Winter Nights and "Virtue Signaling"
Links for the day
Links 06/10/2025: Scientific Awards and Typhoon Matmo
Links for the day
IP Kat Gone Bonkers, Pushing Slop in Patents (Likely Illegal, With Severe Consequences)
AstraZenecaKat: "Last time, this Kat covered some practical steps on how to ensure client confidentiality when using AI tools (IPKat)."
Links 06/10/2025: Grokipedia as Malicious Slop, US 'Martial Law' a "New Normal"
Links for the day
Fake Economics and Clown Computing Circuses
who's gonna pay for these scams?
Nobel Prize in Economics Does Not Exist, It's Propaganda From Sveriges Riksbank
"It is that time of the year when it is important to remind people that there are no Nobel Prizes for professional wrestling, astrology, or economics"
Rust is Eating Linux
That's a recipe for problems
Cindy Cohn (Executive Director of EFF) is a Millionaire, Earned Almost $30,000 Per Month Before Departing While the EFF Lost Money
EFF is "Big Business"
Non-Denying Denial From Microsoft (Again) Regarding the End of XBox Consoles
It's kind of hilarious that even the site chosen by Microsoft to relay its BS, based on past loyalty, isn't quite buying it
Bringing Back Lost Articles From the 1990s: Microsoft Products Leave Door Open to NSA
Nothing has changed since then
When the Slop Bubble Pops People Will Say Richard Stallman Was Right (Again)
What was once known as Computer Science turned into "IT"
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Sunday, October 05, 2025
IRC logs for Sunday, October 05, 2025
Links 06/10/2025: Science, Hardware, and Andrej Babis Making a Comeback
Links for the day
Links 05/10/2025: Slow News Day and Wondering About the Canada Post Walkout
Links for the day
Gemini Links 05/10/2025: Telnet Debugging and The Programmer’s Brain
Links for the day
More Than "Just a Rumour": XBox Seems to Have Just Died
At this point, why would any studio out there target or partner with XBox?
How to Tell Your Community, Project or Company is Being Infiltrated by Saboteurs
How to identify nefarious social engineering
The Fortieth Birthday of the FSF Made Us Extremely Happy
It feels like the 'hacker community' is regrouping to discuss things and prepare for the next Big Challenge
Chat Control 2 Them, Not 2 U
Follow the advice of Dr. Patrick Breyer
Mozilla: Throw Away Your "Old" PC and Enable "Digital Rights Management (DRM)"
This is heading in a bad direction
Controlling Our Computing for Another Forty Years
40 years of freedom
Motivational Small Place to Run Large Sites
We deem this scenery motivational and inspiring
Techrights' Text Version (Daily Bulletin) Turns Five This Month
our plain-text bulletins are turning 5 this month
We'll Continue Covering the Moribund OSI and Other Dysfunctional if Not Hostile Institutions
Stefano Maffulli's departure is due to his defection and due to him failing the mission in pursuit of money (his salary)
Microsoft XBox is Dying as More Retailers Stop Stocking It and Massive Layoffs Planned Again
Microsoft is circling down the drain
Links 05/10/2025: Lufthansa Layoffs (4,000) and More Spotify Woes (Aside From Massive Debt)
Links for the day
The Free Software Foundation's Livestream Has Ended, Video/s Might be Online Next
I've asked whether they'll upload video of some of the event; I still wait for an answer
The Register MS Does Not Know the Difference Between Microsoft GitHub and GitLab
At the time of writing (October 5) the article from "Thu 2 Oct 2025" remains uncorrected
Linux and the Freedom Paradox
Linux is losing freedom if some external actors who only use Microsoft tools for development wrest control
"Bullshit Generators" (What RMS Calls LLMs) and Fake Images Already Target the FSF
Why does Google News promote fake articles about the FSF while omitting all the real ones?
Software Patents as a Bubble
Don't invest resources in hype; if you detect a bubble, run away from it
Links 05/10/2025: Political Leftovers, Climate Change, and Security Incidents
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Saturday, October 04, 2025
IRC logs for Saturday, October 04, 2025