●● IRC: #techbytes @ Techrights IRC Network: Sunday, November 26, 2023 ●● ● Nov 26 [01:31] schestowitz https://patentblog.kluweriplaw.com/2023/11/24/beat-weibel-low-quality-patents-harm-european-industry/ [01:31] -TechBytesBot/#techbytes-patentblog.kluweriplaw.com | Beat Weibel: Low quality patents harm European industry - Kluwer Patent Blog [01:33] *psydroid2 has quit (Quit: KVIrc 5.0.0 Aria http://www.kvirc.net/) [01:33] schestowitz "concerned examiner [01:33] schestowitz NOVEMBER 24, 2023 AT 10:07 PM [01:33] schestowitz The discussion on the quality of patents has been running around for the past 20 years. I suggest the following as an hypothesis for discussion: [01:33] schestowitz the management of the EPO wants the quality of patents to be lower. [01:33] schestowitz Yes, I know I am provocative. But after so many years, one must wonder whether the continuous lowering of the quality of the EPO is due to incompetence or whether it is actually what the management wants. [01:33] schestowitz There has been a constant production pressure. There has been a constant lowering of the competencies of the new examiners (it used to be that they were supposed to have some experience in industry). The complaints of major applicants are met with contempt, as the article shows. [01:33] schestowitz I think the writing is on the wall. [01:33] schestowitz REPLY [01:33] schestowitz Max Drei [01:33] schestowitz NOVEMBER 25, 2023 AT 11:59 AM [01:33] schestowitz I read that start-ups complain that: [01:33] schestowitz .they are really fed up with the system because there are too many low-quality, invalid patents out in the field they have to deal with. [01:33] schestowitz and that BigCorp is equally fed up with the system, I ask myself who exactly is it who should get some of the blame for flooding the system with thousands of patents covering trivial contributions to the art. [01:33] schestowitz I prosecute materials and mechanical engineering applications at the EPO for a powerful US-based corporation. I dont see any great decline in search competence or examination rigour. I think I get exactly the scope the client deserves. [01:33] schestowitz My client thereby gets a B publication and the right, post-grant, to defend marginal patentability in court. [01:33] schestowitz Whats the alternative? Is the EPO to refuse every marginal case? What would be the reaction to that, from IPQC? Even louder howls of protest, for sure, both from its BigCorp members and its start-up members. [01:33] schestowitz Is this what Steve Rowan said? Is this why EPO management declines to engage with IPQC? [01:33] schestowitz REPLY [01:33] schestowitz Thinking of it [01:33] schestowitz NOVEMBER 25, 2023 AT 5:34 PM [01:33] schestowitz That the quality of the products delivered by the office is steadily going down is not surprising. Just a very cursive look at decisions of the boards after appeal on opposition shows the problem. Lots of patents should not have been granted. The search is too summary and examination is also hurried up. [01:33] schestowitz The problem starts with the search. If the search is messed up, the resulting patent can have little validity. In The Hague, the maxim still seems to apply that only the search is important and the examination is really nothing more than wordplay. A good search is a search which has revealed X documents. There are search reports that only contain either A or X documents. And then the opponent comes up with the relevant document that was [01:33] schestowitz not found during the original search! It can even be a prior art under Art 54(3) from the applicant/proprietor himself! [01:33] schestowitz Another aspect that also needs to be discussed is the fact that the EPO carries out about 40% of PCT Chapter 1 searches. The problem of poor searches is not only a problem for Europe, but also a global problem. WIPO does not have the resources and capabilities to scrutinise search results, but caution is also required here. [01:33] schestowitz The latest action by the Offices management, regardless of whether it complies with the EPC, is nothing more than a smokescreen designed to reassure the Administrative Council. The office management can then easily claim that it takes quality very seriously and takes appropriate measures. That no time is left to examiners to do the required checks is another oddity. [01:33] schestowitz Another problem is that very few examiners are still in the office buildings. Under the Bringing Teams Together banner, examiners are mainly working from home and contact between examiners has deteriorated. [01:33] schestowitz This can often be observed in the case of serious procedural violations. The first examiner lets something go and the two other members of the division sign without even batting an eyelid. You can no longer walk down the corridor and discuss the matter with your colleagues because on top of it, there isnt enough time. [01:33] schestowitz Although opposition cannot be used directly as a general quality criterion, the decisions of the boards after opposition give a good idea of what the situation can be with patents that have not been opposed." ● Nov 26 [02:30] *Disconnected (Connection timed out). [02:30] *Now talking on #techbytes ● Nov 26 [06:34] schestowitz
  • [06:34] schestowitz
    Weird HTML Hacks
    [06:34] schestowitz
    [06:34] schestowitz

    Today in Tedium: As an experienced survivor of the email wars, I have seen many things over the years that should not work, but ultimately pull off unexpected and weird tricks. Some of these are absolutely necessary because of code failures created by larger entities who failed to properly implement proper HTML code, or more egregiously, forced users to create code that was the opposite of ele [06:34] schestowitz gant, just to get a reasonably desirable result. But some of these hacks were actually brilliant and worth remembering for their sheer inventiveness. After all, we werent going to let Internet Explorer get in the way of a good design, right? Todays Tedium talks about HTML hackswhether structural or technicalthat carried us through at a time when there were no guarantees that our webpages were going to work. Were listing t [06:34] schestowitz hem out. Heres ten. Ernie @ Tedium

    [06:34] schestowitz
    [06:34] schestowitz
    • [06:34] -TechBytesBot/#techbytes-tedium.co | 10 Weird HTML Hacks That Shaped The Internet ● Nov 26 [09:09] *psydroid2 (~psydroid@u8ftxtfux23wk.irc) has joined #techbytes ● Nov 26 [10:02] schestowitz
  • [10:02] schestowitz
    This week in KDE: the Plasma 6 feature freeze approaches
    [10:02] schestowitz
    [10:02] schestowitz

    At this point nearly all the planned features for Plasma 6 are done, and everyones focus has begun to shift to bug-fixing and polishing. People are reporting plenty of bugs (most of them fairly minor) and were fixing them as fast as we can! In addition to that, some larger and more notable changes went in too: [...]

    [10:02] schestowitz
    [10:02] schestowitz
    • [10:02] -TechBytesBot/#techbytes-pointieststick.com | This week in KDE: the Plasma 6 feature freeze approaches Adventures in Linux and KDE [10:22] schestowitz
  • [10:22] schestowitz
    How to sit correctly at your desk to boost wellbeing and productivity
    [10:22] schestowitz
    [10:22] schestowitz

    According to the NHS, poor posture can lead to, or aggravate, back and neck pain. Improving your posture can alleviate muscle tension and studies suggest it can lead to greater work productivity. Combined with a good office chair, it can transform your working day.

    [10:22] schestowitz
    [10:22] schestowitz
    • [10:22] schestowitz [10:22] -TechBytesBot/#techbytes-www.which.co.uk | How to sit correctly at your desk to boost wellbeing and productivity - Which? News ● Nov 26 [12:31] *u-amarsh04 has quit (Quit: Konversation terminated!) [12:35] *u-amarsh04 (~amarsh04@tsyym2kk6knjc.irc) has joined #techbytes ● Nov 26 [20:20] *schestowitz-TR2 has quit (*.net *.split) [20:20] *lightbringer has quit (*.net *.split) [20:20] *kermit has quit (*.net *.split) [20:20] *lightbringer (mincer@freenode/user/lightbringer) has joined #techbytes [20:20] *schestowitz-TR2 (~acer-box@freenode/user/schestowitz) has joined #techbytes [20:20] *kermit (sid393220@freenode/user/kermit) has joined #techbytes ● Nov 26 [21:25] *psydroid2 has quit (Quit: KVIrc 5.0.0 Aria http://www.kvirc.net/) ● Nov 26 [23:27] *u-amarsh04 has quit (Quit: Konversation terminated!) [23:32] *u-amarsh04 (~amarsh04@tsyym2kk6knjc.irc) has joined #techbytes