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Contacting National Delegations to Complain About the European Patent Office (EPO)

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Summary: The national delegations to whom the serious abuses by the European Patent Office (EPO) can -- and probably should -- be reported

THE EPO's management is apparently (if word on the street is to be believed) shielded by fear. The continued abuse is facilitated mostly by the Administrative Council, where nobody 'dares' to take the first move and challenge Team Battistelli, having already seen how Battistelli can bully delegates. We have decided to make a concise summary of the situation along with the following easy-to-follow list of contacts for anyone wishing to express an opinion and/or ask national delegations to tackle the abuses.

Starting with smaller member states (or groups) and moving towards larger ones, here we go. Some E-mails may no longer be up to date or active, so contacting several people (multiple recipients) is the safest way to ensure the messages land on the right ears. For one to contact one's officials is not political activism but an exercise in functioning democracy.

Albania



Delegates/Representatives:

elvin.lako@dppm.gov.al

elvanda.mece@dppm.gov.al

mailinf@dppm.gov.al




Bulgaria



Delegates/Representatives:

vbabaleva@bpo.bg

tnaydenova@bpo.bg

bpo@bpo.bg




Croatia



Delegates/Representatives:

ljiljana.kuterovac@dziv.hr




Cyprus



Delegates/Representatives:

skokkinos@drcor.mcit.gov.cy

eeleftheriou@drcor.mcit.gov.cy




Czech Republic



Delegates/Representatives:

jkratochvil@upv.cz

skopecka@upv.cz

posta@upv.cz




Estonia



Delegates/Representatives:

Matti.Paets@epa.ee

Margus.Viher@epa.ee




Greece



Delegates/Representatives:

ssta@obi.gr

kmar@obi.gr

info@obi.gr




Latvia



Delegates/Representatives:

guntis.ramans@lrpv.gov.lv

sandris.laganovskis@lrpv.gov.lv

valde@lrpv.lv




Lithuania



Delegates/Representatives:

rimvydas.naujokas@vpb.gov.lt

zilvinas.danys@vpb.gov.lt




Macedonia



Delegates/Representatives:

safet.emruli@ippo.gov.mk

irenaj@ippo.gov.mk




Malta



Delegates/Representatives:

godwin.warr@gov.mt

michelle.bonello@gov.mt




Monaco



Delegates/Representatives:

ekheng@gouv.mc

expansion@gouv.mc

mcpi@gouv.mc




Poland



Delegates/Representatives:

aadamczak@uprp.pl

ematysiak@uprp.pl

glachowicz@uprp.pl




Portugal



Delegates/Representatives:

leonor.trindade@inpi.pt

marco.dinis@inpi.pt




Romania



Delegates/Representatives:

ionel.muscalu@osim.ro

alexandru.strenc@osim.ro

office@osim.ro




San Marino



Delegates/Representatives:

silvia.rossi.ubm@pa.sm

b.cinquantini@ngpatent.it




Serbia



Delegates/Representatives:

btotic@zis.gov.rs

bbilenkati@zis.gov.rs

zis@zis.gov.rs




Slovakia



Delegates/Representatives:

lubos.knoth@indprop.gov.sk

lukrecia.marcokova@indprop.gov.sk

urad@indprop.gov.sk




Slovenia



Delegates/Representatives:

Vesna.StankovicJuricic@uil-sipo.si

Ales.orazem@uil-sipo.si

h.zalaznik@uil-sipo.si

sipo@uil-sipo.si




Turkey



Delegates/Representatives:

habip.asan@turkpatent.gov.tr

akocer@turkpatent.gov.tr

info@turkpatent.gov.tr




Belgium



L'Office belge de la Propriété intellectuelle (OPRI) SPF Economie, P.M.E., Classes moyennes et Energie City Atrium C Rue du Progrès, 50 B-1210 Brussels, BELGIUM Ms. Sabine Laruelle http://www.laruelle.belgium.be/fr/equipe-et-contact http://www.sabinelaruelle.be/homepage info@laruelle.fgov.be

Delegates/Representatives:

jerome.debrulle@economie.fgov.be

geoffrey.bailleux@mineco.fgov.be




Netherlands



NL Octrooicentrum Ministerie van Economische Zaken Bezuidenhoutseweg 73 postbus 20401 NL- 2500 EK, Den Haag NEDERLANDS Mr. Henk Kamp http://www.rijksoverheid.nl/regering/bewindspersonen/henk-kamp

Assistant: b.becker@minez.nl Spokespersons: b.visser@minez.nl P.vanStrien@minez.nl t.d.vanes@minez.nl

Delegates/Representatives:

derk-jan.degroot@agentschapnl.nl

p.h.m.vanbeukering@minez.nl




Luxembourg



Office de la propriété intellectuelle Ministère de l’Economie et du Commerce extérieur 19-21, boulevard Royal L-2914 Luxembourg LUXEMBOURG Mr. Etienne Schneider http://www.eco.public.lu/ministere/ministre/index.html

etienne.schneider@eco.etat.lu minister@eco.etat.lu Secretary: catherine.lammar@eco.etat.lu

Delegates/Representatives:

lex.kaufhold@eco.etat.lu

claude.sahl@eco.etat.lu




UK



Intellectual Property Office Department for Business Innovation & Skills 1 Victoria Street London SW1H 0ET UNITED KINGDOM Dr. Vince Cable https://www.gov.uk/government/people/vince-cable

enquiries@bis.gsi.gov.uk cablev@parliament.uk

Delegates/Representatives:

john.alty@ipo.gov.uk sean.dennehey@ipo.gov.uk




Ireland



Irish Patents Office Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, 23 Kildare Street, Dublin 2 IRELAND Mr. Richard Bruton http://www.djei.ie/corporate/ministersoffice/richardbruton.htm minister@djei.ie

Delegates/Representatives:

gerard.barrett@patentsoffice.ie




France



Institut National de la Propriété Industrielle (INPI) Ministère de l’Économie, des Finances et du Commerce extérieur 139, rue de Bercy F-75572 Paris Cedex 12 FRANCE Mr. Emmanuel Macron http://www.economie.gouv.fr/le-ministere/emmanuel-macron

Delegates/Representatives:

ylapierre@inpi.fr

fclaireau@inpi.fr

contact@inpi.fr




Italy



Ufficio Italiano Brevetti e Marchi (UIBM) Ministero dello Sviluppo Economico Uffici del Ministro Via Veneto 33 IT-00187 Roma ITALIA Ms. Federica Guidi http://www.sviluppoeconomico.gov.it/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&idmenu=3315 segreteria.ministro@mise.gov.it

Delegates/Representatives:

mauro.masi@consap.it

loredana.gulino@mise.gov.it




Spain



Oficina Española de Patentes y Marcas (OEPM) Ministerio de Industria, Energía y Turismo P€º de la Castellana 160. ES-28046 Madrid ESPAÑA Dr. José Manuel Soria López http://www.minetur.gob.es/es-ES/Ministro/Biografia/Paginas/CV_Ministro.aspx secretaria.ministro@mityc.es

Delegates/Representatives:

patricia.garcia-escudero@oepm.es

pedro.cartagena@oepm.es




Germany



Deutsches Marken- und Patentamt (DPMA) Bundesministerium der Justiz (BMJ) Mohrenstraße 37 D-10117 Berlin DEUTSCHLAND Mr. Heiko Maas http://www.bmjv.de/DE/Ministerium/Hausleitung/Minister/_node.html mail@heiko-maas.de poststelle@bmj.bund.de

Delegates/Representatives:

ernst-ch@bmj.bund.de

info@dpma.de




Switzerland



Eidgenössisches Institut für Geistiges Eigentum Eidgenössischen Justiz- und Polizeidepartement (EJPD) Bundeshaus West CH-3003 Bern SCHWEIZ Ms. Simonetta Sommaruga http://www.ejpd.admin.ch/ejpd/de/home/ueber-uns/dv.html simonetta.sommaruga@gs-ejpd.admin.ch simonetta.sommaruga@parl.ch

Delegates/Representatives:

roland.grossenbacher@ipi.ch

christian.bock@metas.ch

info@ipi.ch




Liechtenstein



Eidgenössisches Institut für Geistiges Eigentum Ministerium für Inneres, Justiz und Wirtschaft Postfach 684 9490 Vaduz LIECHTENSTEIN Dr. Thomas Zwiefelhofer http://www.regierung.li/ministerien/wirtschaft/mitarbeitende-kontakt/ thomas@zwiefelhofer.net Assistant: Simon.Biedermann@regierung.li

Delegates/Representatives:

Sabine.Monauni@llv.li

Esther.Schindler@llv.li

ute.hammermann@avw.llv.li

info@avw.llv.li




Austria



Österreichisches Patentamt Bundesministerium für Verkehr, Innovation und Technologie (BMVIT) Radetzkystraße 2 A-1030 Wien ÖSTERREICH Mr. Alois Stöger http://www.bmvit.gv.at/ alois.stoeger@spoe.at

Delegates/Representatives:

friedrich.roedler@patentamt.at

andrea.scheichl@patentamt.at

info@patentamt.at




Hungary



Hungarian Intellectual Property Office Ministry of Public Administration and Justice Kossuth Lajos tér 2-4. HU-1055 Budapest HUNGARY Dr. Tibor Navracsics http://www.kormany.hu/en/ministry-of-public-administration-and-justice/the-minister info@kim.gov.hu intcomm@me.gov.hu

Delegates/Representatives:

miklos.bendzsel@hipo.gov.hu

mihaly.ficsor@hipo.gov.hu

elnokseg@hipo.gov.hu




Denmark



Danish Patent and Trademark Office (DKPTO) Ministry for Business and Growth Slotsholmsgade 10-12 DK-1216 København K DENMARK Mr. Henrik Sass Larsen http://www.evm.dk/english/the-minister evm@evm.dk Press Secretary smn@evm.dk

Delegates/Representatives:

jko@dkpto.dk

arj@dkpto.dk

mlr@dkpto.dk

knj@dkpto.dk

pbp@dkpto.dk

pvs@dkpto.dk




Sweden



Swedish Patent and Registration Office Ministry of Justice Rosenbad 4 SE-103 33 Stockholm SWEDEN Ms. Beatrice Ask http://www.government.se/sb/d/7567 beatrice.ask@gov.se Justitiedepartementet.registrator@regeringskansliet.se

Delegates/Representatives:

susanne.sivborg@prv.se

per.holmstrand@prv.se

Update: Beatrice Ask is no longer minister of justice, it's Morgan Johansson. Best way of contacting is via registrator of department of justice: ju.registrator@regeringskansliet.se




Finland



National Board of Patents and Registration of Finland (NBPR) Ministry of Employment and the Economy P.O. Box 32 FI-00023 GOVERNMENT FINLAND Mr. Jan Vapaavuori Minister of Economic Affairs http://www.tem.fi/index.phtml?l=en&s=2297 jan.vapaavuori@tem.fi

Secretary:

jonna.sjogren@tem.fi

Delegates/Representatives:

rauni.hagman@prh.fi

jorma.hanski@prh.fi




Norway



The Norwegian Industrial Property Office (NIPO) Ministry of Trade and Industry P.O.Box 8114 Dep., N-0030 Oslo NORWAY Monica Mæland, Minister of Trade and Industry http://www.regjeringen.no/en/dep/nfd/about-the-ministry/minister-of-trade-and-industry-monica-ma.html?id=742948 postmottak@nfd.dep.no

Delegates/Representatives:

pfo@patentstyret.no

jsa@patentstyret.no




Iceland



Icelandic Patent Office Ministry of Industries and Innovation Skulagotu 4 150 Reykjavík Iceland Ragnheiður Elín Árnadóttir Minister of Industry and Commerce http://eng.atvinnuvegaraduneyti.is/ministers/nr/6748 rea@althingi.is postur@anr.is

Delegates/Representatives:

borghildur@els.is

elfa@els.is




If we have left something or someone out, or if an inclusion of an entry is out of date, please let us know in the comments below.

Once upon a time someone spoke of the "Broken Governance of the European Patent Organisation", noting that "several members of the Administration Board of the European Patent Organisation are the national patent offices themselves!"

At the time, things were different and not the same persons involved.

Nevertheless, back then the list of representatives at the Administrative Council of the EPO highlighted the fact that the Executive was also the Legislator:

BE: Office de la Propriété Intellectuelle BG: Patent Office of the Republic of Bulgaria CZ: Industrial Property Office of the Czech Republic DK: Danish Patent and Trademark Office EE: Estonian Patent Office ES: Department, Spanish Patent and Trademark Office FI: National Board of Patents and Registration of Finland FR: Institut National de la Propriété Industrielle UK: UK Intellectual Property Office GR: Industrial Property Organisation (OBI) HU: Hungarian Patent Office HR: State Intellectual Property Office of the Republic of Croatia IE: Irish Patents Office IS: Icelandic Patent Office IT: Office italien des brevets et des marques LT: The State Patent Bureau of the Republic of Lithuania LV: Latvian Patent Office NL: Netherlands Patent Office NO: Norwegian Industrial Property Office PL: Patent Office of the Republic of Poland PT: National Institute of Industrial Property RO: State Office for Inventions and Trademarks SE: Swedish Patent and Registration Office SI: Slovenian Intellectual Property Office SK: Industrial Property Office of the Slovak Republic TR: Turkish Patent Institute


Three questions were raised at the time:

  1. Does the Council recognise that there is lack of separation of powers between the legislative powers and the executive powers in the European Patent Organisation?


  2. How does the Council view the separation of powers between the legislative and the executive powers in the future European Patent System?


  3. How does the Council view the fact that the same lack of separation of powers may happen inside its own institution?


That was written a long time ago, but it was rather prophetic because we still see some overlap between the legislative and executive powers. This in its own right is a subject which merits open debate.

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