Bonum Certa Men Certa

Battistelli Acting Like a Politician, Lobbying for UPC All Across Europe and Coming to London Soon

The European public is asleep while the EPO lobbies for a new patent system that severely harms the public (to the benefit/gain of large foreign corporations)

Public nap



Summary: Battistelli's UPC 'world tour', or the lobbying for the interests of his Office and big clients (not examiners or ordinary Europeans, SMEs and so on), carries on unabated

THE LOBBYING activities of the EPO have been covered in nearly a dozen posts so far. IAM's editor in chief foolishly denies that EPO management intervenes in these matters (he told me this after organising a pro-UPC event funded in part by the EPO's PR firm).



Don't believe the lies.

Battistelli acts like a politician. He is still close to Sarkozy, which in some sense disqualifies him or makes him unsuitable for his job.

Sometimes Battistelli acts like a lobbyist. See for example the following previous posts (there are more):



It is worth noting that there's more to Battistelli's notoriety and one day we may actually get around to covering it properly. The EPO is connected to WIPO in the scandals sense (similar kinds of scandals), potentially the Željko Topić sense, and Battistelli's competition for the top position there (against Francis Gurry, whose leadership is equally notorious at WIPO). WIPO is cracking down on whistleblowers rather than address the serious problems which they highlight. Battistelli is doing the same thing -- much to the outrage of the B28. In order to restore order at the EPO they should give Hardon and other staff representatives their job back, they should give the job back (no suspension/house ban) to the judge who is alleged to have spoken with Hardon (part of the dubious allegations made against her), and finally -- most importantly perhaps -- the independent/external investigators must look into what the judge is alleged to have spoken about, whereupon the only person likely to be left without a job (maybe just convictions) is Vice-President Željko Topić.

"Battistelli acts like a politician. He is still close to Sarkozy, which in some sense disqualifies him or makes him unsuitable for his job."Like every abusive institution, such as the NSA, sociopaths in positions of power are to be expected. They can justify the unthinkable, at least to themselves.

The EPO's President and his bodyguards (yes, plural) are going to London next month. This should be interesting for several reasons. Battistelli and his bodyguards, along with the large (or oversized) lawyers 'industry' of London, will be heavy in attendance, that's for sure, and UPC will be on the agenda, just in time for Brexit debates. The lawyers whom Battistelli et al used to bully me for my reporting on the EPO are also patent lawyers who want UPC. I still have a lot to say about what the EPO did to me after I had pointed out its strong relationship with Microsoft and what Microsoft itself tried to do to me (calling my boss and more). There will be consequences, including greater resentment and increased coverage here. Censorship comes about through fear and I still refuse to be intimidated into silence. The harder one rocks the EPO boat (and gets closer to inducing change), the worse the consequences become. Staff of the EPO surely knows this. There are even suicides (induced by bullying) that serve as a reminder. Big corporations and greased up millionaires/billionaires fight with lawyers, thugs, assassins, PR firms like FTI Consulting, etc. Money matters and they try to play with their pockets, not with minds and words. Depending on which country one speaks out in, the exposed can resort to violent actions. Those who expose them fight only with words. EPO opposition only has words. Soon it might be strikes too; these are a form of expression -- a nonviolent action.

“UNION’s dinners are becoming famous for their mix of good spirit and great speakers and they have surpassed themselves this time with their next dinner on 6th April 2016 featuring EPO President Benoit Battistelli himself.”
      --Darren Smyth
This new article from Darren Smyth (published this morning) says the "UNION’s dinners are becoming famous for their mix of good spirit and great speakers and they have surpassed themselves this time with their next dinner on 6th April 2016 featuring EPO President Benoit Battistelli himself. In his first public appearances in the UK for a long time, the President will be speaking on the topic “The EPO: Current and future role” and we’re looking forward to a fascinating evening, hosted by UNION President Gwilym Roberts who comments “this is a fantastic opportunity to show Mr Battistelli some British hospitality and hear a little more about future plans for the EPO in an informal and mellow environment”. Full details and tickets can be obtained from EventBrite at https://union-ip-battistelli.eventbrite.co.uk ."

Well, looking at the original site, we find (unsurprisingly) UPC lobbying on the agenda. To quote: "President Battistelli has inherited a giant and complex organisation at a time of great flux both for external reasons, for example the introduction of the UPC, and internal reasons with productivity and operational matters high on the agenda. This is an opportunity for the EPO to explain how it sees its role going forward, and what we can hope for from this major player on the global IP scene."

Regarding our recent claims about EPO lobbying for UPC ("A Patent Office or a Lobbying Firm?"), one person sent us "More on EPO involvement regarding the UPC" (Unitary or Unified Patent Court; the name keeps changing, as it has for more than half a decade).

Days ago I wrote: "The EPO’s boosters (who rub Battistelli’s back) keep insisting that the EPO is not pushing for or touching policy pertaining to the UPC."

That's alluding to the aforementioned IAM editor in chief, who is scrambling to distance himself from his buddy because of negative publicity.

When it comes to the UPC, the EPO has been closely involved from the very beginning. In the legislative proceedings, for instance, Battistelli was repeatedly heard by the European Parliament, wherein he presented his biased views that are self-serving (to the detriment of Europeans). This can be recaptured in the transcript volume published here [PDF] and in the video clips referenced there. He can be seen alongside Klaus-Heiner Lehne, whom we wrote about in past years [1, 2, 3] (early on throughout or preceding Battistelli's presidency). Back then, i.e. about 6 years ago, Klaus-Heiner Lehne called it "unitary EU patent" (it kept changing names, going back to the days of Michel Barnier and Charlie McCreevy as chief proponents).

The bottom line is, EPO isn't a patent office but also an instrument of lobbying. Battistelli appears to have taken this to new levels, working alongside horrible people such as Klaus-Heiner Lehne (see our past articles about him).

Recent Techrights' Posts

Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
This Saturday It's Gonna be 3.5 Years* Since Russia Invaded Ukraine. No Microsoft Protests Against Microsoft Having Provided Russia With Services.
Companies do not have consistent policies and enforcement of "corporate values" is somewhat of an egg salad
 
Links 23/08/2025: onmicrosoft.com as Spam Cannon, The Cheeto-Intel Deal Is Official
Links for the day
Wired Complained About LLM Slop Only Days Before It Got Caught Doing That Itself
Never throw stones in a glass house
IBM "Value" Down 14.16% in a Month, Red Hat Layoffs Allegedly Discussed 12 Days Ago
"IBM is a dinosaur. Dinosaurs get extinct when the don't keep up."
We're Seeing More Countries Where Windows Isn't Even in Second Place Anymore (Third or Worse)
In a way, Microsoft can barely even hold onto second place anymore
The US Government is Now in the Business (Literally!) of Saving Microsoft and Intel
This means that President TACO/Cheeto now has grater financial incentive to also prop up Microsoft and Windows
Microsoft Workers on Canonical's Payroll
If you want something that's sort of like Ubuntu but is not controlled by Canonical, then look into Linux Mint, Debian, or LMDE
GNU/Linux Climbs to 4% in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone isn't a very rich country (to say the least), but it's better off than some of its neighbours
The SLAPPS Run Out of Oxygen Because They're Abuse of Process
At the end of the day we plan to publish over 1,000 articles explaining what happened
The Register MS Gets Paid by the Employer of the Previous Editor in Chief to Promote the "AI" Ponzi Scheme, Which Does Considerable Damage to the Web and to Online Journalists
The Register MS can 'badmouth' slop all it wants; it gets paid to inflate this bubble. It's actively participating in it.
Soon It'll be Autumn, Time to Repair Things
Where they don't charge an arm and a leg
Doing Our Best to Cover Software Patents When the Mainstream Media Does Not
Even the FSF has its limits
Gemini Links 23/08/2025: August Questions and Network Solutions
Links for the day
IRC Proceedings: Friday, August 22, 2025
IRC logs for Friday, August 22, 2025
Microsoft Has Issues in Guyana
It's not just Guyana
About 25% of the "Linux" News/Results in Google News Today Are LLM Slop, Almost 20% From the Same Rogue Operators of Slopfarms
Google, which tries to market itself as an LLM giant, apparently fails to understand what's wrong with it
Harassing People on Holiday
There are "no-go areas"; but that assumes all laws firms have ethical standards
The Great, Undeniable Value of Paper Trail, Not Purely Digital Systems
Suppose you have nothing but bits on someone else's computer and "word of mouth"...
The Company Behind Ars Technica, Reddit and Wired Caught Publishing LLM Slop (It Also Admits It Now)
Condé Nast busted
Links 22/08/2025: Lagrange 1.18.8, Wired Magazine and Business Insider Caught Resorting to LLM Slop
Links for the day
Slopwatch: Sites Gone Rogue, Google Promoting Lies, and DDoS Attacks by Plagiarism Giants
Charlatans and frauds engage in a war against artistic industries, mislabeling plagiarism as "AI"
Links 22/08/2025: Cisco Layoffs, LA Times Says "AI Hype is Fading Fast"
Links for the day
Gemini Links 22/08/2025: K for Kentucky and Caddy Versus LLM Slopbots
Links for the day
The "End Software Patents" Initiative of the FSF Explains "WHY [to] ABOLISH SOFTWARE PATENTS"
We hope to cover patent-related issues more and more as the big anniversary of the FSF approaches
Freenode Sniffing
The grown-ups left the building
The Only Thing Worse Than Misinformation is Misinformation Sold to Everyone as "Intelligence"
Misplaced trust is worse than none at all
The Register MS Now Openly Admits LLM Hype Does Damage, But It's Also Being Paid to Participate in the LLM Hype (With Paid 'Articles' and 'Webcasts' for Paying Advertisers)
The Register MS gets paid to do this
End of the Smartphone Era? No.
Maybe the media should focus on producing accurate, factual news
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Thursday, August 21, 2025
IRC logs for Thursday, August 21, 2025
Enshittification of Airports, Airlines, and Airplanes
If people are willing to tolerate standard declines and enshittification (nowadays sold as "pivot to AI" or "replaced by AI" or "AI layoffs") they will pay for it some other way
Latest Is Not Greatest: The Case of "Foldable" Tech
don't be shamed into abandoning old things just because the "fashion industry" of Apple and Samsung tells you to
Airlines and Their Tricks That Only Work in the 'Digital Age'
People sceptical of the direction technology has taken are not "Luddites"
Open Source Initiative (OSI), Which Became a Propaganda Front of Microsoft and "Hey Hi" (Hype, Misnomer), Wants You to Forget These Scandals
A lot of these issues won't be set aside until there's a resolution
The Culture of Overnight Coding
An industry-wise push-back is needed
Windows Down to New Lows in Guinea Bissau and Many Countries Around It
If Android is accounted for, Windows is down to about 10%
Gemini Links 21/08/2025: Modern Dating, Debian 13, and Apache
Links for the day
Microsoft Has Had About 10 Waves of Mass Layoffs So Far This Year (Not Two as Mainstream Media and Slopfarms Endlessly Claim)
Notice how the MSM (Mainstream Media) never mentions the debt of Microsoft. It is a conscious, deliberate decision.
Links 21/08/2025: Covid Cases on the Rise, "Social Media Trolls", Russia's Attacks Intensify
Links for the day
Gemini Links 21/08/2025: The Attraction of Back Alleys, Initramfs, and BSD ISPs
Links for the day
Links 21/08/2025: Stephanie Shirley Dies and "Groklaw Domain Hijacked?"
Links for the day
Search in 2025 (Age of DDoS Attacks Under the Guise of "AI" "Innovation")
One common concern when things go "live" is that any random bot out there can execute queries, pumping up RAM and CPU usage, as happened when we used MediaWiki and WordPress
Using Slop for Images Does Not Make Your Site Look Advanced or Witty, It Just Makes Your Whole Work Look Like Presumed Plagiarism
Lazy slobs and Serial Sloppers use the guise/excuse of "AI" to plagiarise and spam the Web
Financing of the "Hey Hi" (AI) Bubble by Those Who Profit From Planetary Destruction (Global Warming)
It's about personal gain, too
Richard Stallman Will Speak in Ethereum Cypherpunk Congress
it's good to see that the FSF pays considerable respect to it founder, who is moreover invited to speak at events
(At Least) Second Wave of Mass Layoffs in Microsoft This Month
This is not the first time this month that Microsoft has mass layoffs
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Wednesday, August 20, 2025
IRC logs for Wednesday, August 20, 2025