Bonum Certa Men Certa

EPO “Intranet Fails to Present Any Negative Press Cuttings, Reports and Reactions From the Media”

The EPO treats employees like frightened children

Wikileaks blocked



Summary: The unprecedented censorship and information war inside the European Patent Office (EPO) reaches ridiculous levels, where a parallel reality is being constructed and outrageous amounts of money spent to reinforce this bogus reality

AS NOTED here earlier on, there is a happiness propaganda in the making (conducted secretly by EPO managers). We expect it to be funneled pretty soon into media sites and the European press, assisted by a massive budget (about $80,000 per month) as part of the EPO's secret reputation laundering campaign (leaked here last week).



"Inside the EPO there is still a misinformation campaign as the management blocks E-mails from certain domains, blocks entire Web sites (like Techrights), and apparently tries to control the channels through which staff receives information."Not only SUEPO is concerned about the abuses at the EPO. Other unions are equally concerned and they speak about it, though having seen how SUEPO is being crushed, they must be terrified, so they're just tiptoeing.

Inside the EPO there is still a misinformation campaign as the management blocks E-mails from certain domains, blocks entire Web sites (like Techrights), and apparently tries to control the channels through which staff receives information. It mirrors government censorship just like with Wikileaks back in 2010 (several public, taxpayers-funded institutions in the US blocked access to Wikileaks, not just parts of the US Army).

"Well, this is not surprising given the EPO's history of going as far as threatening staff representatives for presenting mere links to negative press articles about the EPO."Owing to the Streisand Effect alone (attempts to gag Techrights using threats), we have noticed that top news in Google News right now (try a search for "EPO") yield very negative press articles. They're visible at the very top. Here is the Streisand Effect* in action (the very same thing that EPO tried to deny access to is now top news, more so because of the suppression efforts):

EPO news



Many people have been reading about this recently. In the EPO, however, the babysitters who blocked Techrights apparently keep tight controls.

Earlier today we learned about "THE MEDIA COVERAGE" at the EPO. To quote what we've learned: "Media coverage is progressing all over Europe. After France, NL, Belgium, Germany, it is now the turn of new public attention throughout Europe. It is interesting to note that the Intranet fails to present any negative press cuttings, reports and reactions from the media."

Well, this is not surprising given the EPO's history of going as far as threatening staff representatives for presenting mere links to negative press articles about the EPO. Is this China or is this Europe? Is this a private company or a public service?

"Interesting in particular," said the same person, "is the link made with the risk such situation brings for the patent System as a whole and the public or users in particular.

"Here is a collection of some of the latest ones: [with our comments in brackets]

€· in Denmark: http://ing.dk/debat/epo-paa-vildspor-en-status-180452 (article by George Brock-Nannestad, we need a translation from a Danish-speaking reader)

€· in Portugal: http://observador.pt/2015/11/27/mundo-obscuro-da-organizacao-europeia-patentes/ (by Observador, mentioned here a day ago)

€· in the United Kingdom: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/11/30/european_patent_office_launches_lawyers/ (article by Kieren McCarthy, mentioned here before)

€· in Spain: http://www.elconfidencial.com/economia/2015-11-26/suicidios-espionaje-nepotismo-la-oficina-europea-de-patentes-es-un-polvorin_1107057/ (just translated for us)

€· in Italy: http://punto-informa.co.it/4286621/PI/News/epo-denunce-breve are.aspx (by Carlos Sánchez, English translation published here yesterday)

€· in Germany : http://www.labournet.de/internationales/europa/europaeisches-patentamt-belegschaft-gegen-sonnenkoenig /#more-77614 (mentioned here before)

"And also in Blogs:

€· Techdirt: https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20151125/06173532901/european-patent-office-threatens-blogger-with-defamation-lawsuit- criticism.shtml (by Mike Masnick, a little out of date by now)

€· WIPR: http://www.worldipreview.com/page/10-second-survey-industrial-dispute (readers, please take this 10-second survey)

€· Techrights: please consult outside the EPO (or in Mozilla’s Cache)

€· SUEPO took an official position on Mr Battstelli's letter to French MP Pierre-Yves le Borgn' who has published it on his blog (SUEPO's position can be found in pdf at the bottom of Mr le Borgn's post): http://www.pyleborgn.eu/2015/11/crise-a-loeb-reponse-de-lunion-syndicale-suepo/

“...when protest are measurable and visible, they trigger reactions of the press and politicians, which are otherwise busy elsewhere...”
      --Anonymous
"As the Register notes, these events have been “covered in some depth for several months but it was the mass protests that appears to have been the spark that lead the heavy legal response from the EPO”. It is also the case for the reaction from the media: when protest are measurable and visible, they trigger reactions of the press and politicians, which are otherwise busy elsewhere...

"For those who do not find comfort in protesting but “feel confused, burdened, anxious, caught in a whirlwind, endlessly spinning in a wheel like a hamster on amphetamines”, I would advise to take the take heart in the advices of the following excellent DH publication. And most important of all, think of yourself, your friends and beloved ones: your health comes first."

Our next post will be about the protests, which we encourage everyone who works in Munich to attend. ____ * It is worth noting that the person who coined the term "Streisand Effect" has just proven it again. That was yesterday (an article titled "Our Response To The Latest Ridiculous Legal Threat Against Us").

Recent Techrights' Posts

You Should Probably Self-Host Your E-mail and Never Use a Web Browser for Mail
Does anyone still believe Gmail is "free"?
StatCounter Shows the Market Share of Vista 11 is Decreasing in Ukraine This Year
Microsoft abandoning Vista 10 users would be a victory for Vladimir Putin
The "Gold" Rule: Taking Money for Reputation Laundering and Openwashing Under the "Linux" Banner
Seller of expensive toilet paper, Jim Zemlin
LLM Slop Says Slop is "coming for white-collar jobs. Microsoft’s layoffs are just the start"
Look what the Web has become
Reporting Facts About Violence Against Women Deserves Awards, Not Frivolous Lawsuits and Threats
What is Microsoft's stance on women's safety?
Linux.com as Spamfarm of the Linux Foundation, Partner of the Gates Foundation
They no longer publish articles
Slopwatch: The Typical Slopfarms and the 'Brian Fagioli Dilemma'
To the Web and to society (exposed to the Web) LLMs are a net negative
 
Trump Authority (CA) With a Trump NSA is All About Security, But Whose?
A "turnkey tyranny", as the NSA whistleblower Thomas Drake loved to call it
Confirming IBM Shutdowns and Layoffs Today
It's not over yet
Gemini Links 16/04/2025: The 2010s Are Calling and Why "Tools Will Not Liberate Us"
Links for the day
Links 16/04/2025: Cliff Lynch RIP, More Attacks on Science (NASA)
Links for the day
Google Promotes Fake Articles (LLM Slop) Instead of Originals, Relaying Microsoft's Linux FUD Emanating From Microsoft LLMs
Shame on Google for participating in the slopfest
In Some Countries the Largest OEMs Already Dump Microsoft Windows
Windows at 18.9%, Android 60.2%
Microsoft Down From 100% to 10% in Myanmar/Burma
only about 4% of Web requests in Myanmar/Burma come from Vista 11, soon to be the only "supported" version of Windows
When Fedora Said It Was Looking to Integrate "AI" It Meant Promoting Microsoft's Proprietary Spyware and GPL-Violating Slop
When they say "AI" they mean Microsoft
It Used to be IBM, Now It's Microsoft (Why You Need to Fire Microsofters or CIOs Working for Microsoft)
Typically the only effective solution is to identity and remove Microsofters from one's project/organisation (before they can bring more Microsofters in)
IBM Closes Offices and Labs in the United States to Open New Ones in India
It's not layoffs per se; they're substituting/swapping veteran employees for lesser-paid ones
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, April 15, 2025
IRC logs for Tuesday, April 15, 2025
Gemini Links 16/04/2025: IndieWeb Carnival, Tinylog RFC, "Focus, the Web and Gemini"
Links for the day
Links 15/04/2025: Touchable Volumetric Display and Resistance to American Spying Firms
Links for the day
Links 15/04/2025: Some People Cannot Read and Re-discovering of 'Web 1.0'
Links for the day
Links 15/04/2025: China Admits Targetting Critical Infrastructure Using CALEA Back Doors, NASCAR Cracked by Windows Usage
Links for the day
Why We Support Carole Cadwalladr (Even If We Don't Agree With Everything She Said)
I first became aware of Cadwalladr's work a long time ago
Microsoft's Serial Strangler Chose to Attack Techrights With SLAPP When Over 400 Victims of Mohamed Al Fayed Complained About Media's Role in Enabling Him
There is a strong element of "free press" here
A Coalition or a Coup of Sexism
In the Free software community it's hard to avoid this issue
statCounter Sees GNU/Linux at New High of 6% in Bosnia and Herzegovina
GNU/Linux is measured at all-time high
To Celebrate Git Turning 20 Linus Torvalds is 'Selling Out' to Microsoft and Proprietary Software Which Attacks Git (E.E.E.)
He makes it seem like he's endorsing his attackers
Gemini Protocol Milestone (3,000 Active Capsules)
and a total of nearly 4,500
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, April 14, 2025
IRC logs for Monday, April 14, 2025
Gemini Links 14/04/2025: Silver Pigs and more Foundation, Disliking Computers
Links for the day
Hundreds of Microsoft Layoffs (Net Headcount Decrease) in the United Kingdom
headcount decreased
Links 14/04/2025: Russian Attack on Sumy Shows No Intention of Peace, Virgin Australia Admits Overcharging People
Links for the day
The Dilemma of Web Browsers Lying About What They Are (in Order to Bypass Discriminatory Gateways Like Clownflare) Worsens Due to LLM Slop
LLM crawlers/scrapers have made sites more restrictive and hostile towards browsers that are potent but not "famous"
What Really Matters to Companies is Net Income or Profit (Bankruptcy is Possible Even With High Revenue)
We ought to stop talking about revenue without focusing on actual profit
Carole Cadwalladr Talks About How Big Business Tried to Silence Her (and Why You Might be Next)
Our story is very different from Cadwalladr's for many reasons
Companies Conspiring to Keep Salaries Down and Undermine Competition
People who do all the practical work are being paid less and made to work for much longer
Links 14/04/2025: Disinformation, Public Disdain for LLMs, and "Lessons on Tyranny"
Links for the day
LLM Slop and SEO SPAM Take Us Further Away From Facts (the Case of IBM Layoffs)
Some of these can impact Red Hat as well
Gemini Links 14/04/2025: Ween and Historic Ada Project Management
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Sunday, April 13, 2025
IRC logs for Sunday, April 13, 2025
Influencers: Red Hat, Inc's IPO, 1999, post-mortem on the directed share offer to open source developer community
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock