Bonum Certa Men Certa

EPO Management Deeply Concerned That the Public Has Found Out Quality of European Patents (EPs) Nosedived Under Battistelli's Regime

They are afraid of divestment -- an emergent reality which they themselves have led to with their reckless actions

Disinvestment
Reference: Wikipedia



Summary: Growing pressure on the EPO's management to acknowledge that quality control has gone totally out of control as stakeholders already grasp the obvious and act accordingly, turning to other patent offices, such as their national ones (NPOs)

THE number of patent applications from the US nosedived at the EPO. It fell by nearly 6% in just a single year (based on EPO data, which is itself dubious), whereas the same cannot be said about the USPTO.



What does that mean? Maybe that means that Americans are sufficiently well informed. As we explained in our previous post, EPs are overpriced and have become easier to challenge in a court of law. Sloppy examination process isn't the fault of examiners but the fault of their managers, who agree (on behalf of top-level management, notably Team Battistelli) to run the Office like an assembly line with unrealistic quotas. Examiners who don't play alone with this spiel will simply lose their job and likely remain unemployed for a long, long time (there are severe sanctions imposed on future employment of former EPO staff).

"Sloppy examination process isn't the fault of examiners but the fault of their managers, who agree (on behalf of top-level management, notably Team Battistelli) to run the Office like an assembly line with unrealistic quotas."For those who missed the leak which Team Battistelli attempted to distract from, see it now: "Leaked E-mails From the EPO’s Roberto Vacca Reveal That Patent Quality at the European Patent Office Has Become Farcical" (based on hard evidence).

Many insiders have probably heard of if not actually seen this by now. This is seriously toxic stuff!

Yesterday the EPO wrote: "Knowing how examiners organise their work can help you understand the processing time of applications."

We agree.

Notice the wording (or words) used by the EPO nowadays: "production", "demand", "processing"...

"Processing" as in taking files off the shelf and pretending to do examination because Battistelli wants "production" (or else!)?

“Knowing how examiners organise their work can help you understand the processing time of applications.”
      --EPO
Examiners keep telling us they are unable to actually do their job. This isn't what they joined the Office to actually do. Battistelli has accomplished nothing; he converted a bunch of highly sophisticated individuals (experts in their respective fields) into a horde of obedient "processors". They don't like it, stakeholders don't like it, and the public should certainly not like it (much of it is still in the dark about this).

Several months ago we showed that both patent quality and quality of service (not the same thing) nosedived based on stories we had covered here. Complaints about this reached even European politicians! Quality of service and also patent quality are a problem. 0% approval rating for Battistelli says quite a lot. Nowadays, even the examiners themselves are signaling so outwards (maybe hoping that stakeholders will pressure further for the sacking of Battistelli).

"Heard just yesterday from an insider," one person told us recently, "those guys are not loud enough, not enough guts."

We mentioned this in our previous post. Battistelli's reign of terror keeps many of them reluctantly quiet. This atmosphere of great fear at many levels (as they know he is immune from prosecution) serves to protect him. He's another Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan, bar the mustache.

“Heard just yesterday from an insider, those guys are not loud enough, not enough guts.”
      --Anonymous
Some examiners (not all), from what we have been able to gather, want to tell stakeholders that they need to divest -- as few already do -- because only then the EPO's chinchillas (Administrative Council) might get the message and fire Battistelli (even if Battistelli lies to them constantly and pays them money).

Battistelli, who continues to use IAM as his propaganda mill (as he has done for a while), likes to pretend nothing is amiss when it comes to quality. Maybe he even trained himself to believe his own lies. Maybe.

On the subject of patent quality, since the 2016 'results' were announced, we have written MANY articles, including:



Knowing that the truth would discourage further applications (at these high prices), maybe even renewals that have been a cash cow, the EPO's management leaps into action and according to this comment from yesterday, the EPO's management is attacking its own staff again, for merely stating facts:



New Communiqué from the two old farts VP1 and VP2 : the manipulation is so cheap and below the belt! this shows that when addressing the Admin Council in their statement where they worry about the fact that the figures are due to unhealthy production pressure which can only impact on the quality of the work done (thus caring for the future of the EPO), the Staff Reps have hit the nerve!

And this auch noch signed by VP1 (an ex-examiner who did all he could not to do patents) and from VP2 (a man whose level mirrors that of Manuel in Fawlty Towers...)

I am proud to be represented by you guys! Hut ab!

----------

Dear colleagues,

We have the duty to inform you that yesterday when the Administrative Council was discussing the progress report of the Unitary Patent Protection, the staff representatives took this opportunity to attack publicly again, in front of all Member States' delegates and the user representatives, the quality of the products delivered by EPO staff, without any evidence but unfounded allegations.

Although all objective indicators, supported by regular internal and external audits and user surveys, have demonstrated that EPO quality has increased over the last years, these attacks are repeated publicly. It shows a total lack of respect for the colleagues who have shown by their efforts and professionalism the capacity of the Office to improve the quality of the products and services of the Office.

The staff representation has the right to criticize any aspect of the management of the Office if they so wish. The staff has the right to know what its representatives say about its work.


Got that? Truth is treason at the EPO! So much for an institution based on rule of law, science, and integrity. It looks more and more like a mosque. To deviate from the king's rosy view is "apostasy", punishable by suicide.

“New Communiqué from the two old farts VP1 and VP2 : the manipulation is so cheap and below the belt! this shows that when addressing the Admin Council in their statement where they worry about the fact that the figures are due to unhealthy production pressure which can only impact on the quality of the work done (thus caring for the future of the EPO), the Staff Reps have hit the nerve!”
      --Anonymous
Quality of patents at the EPO has definitely declined. That's patently true, so it's not a badge of honour -- as Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona believes it to be -- to just throw lots of money at EPs. It's a total waste of money. "The UAB continues to lead Spain in patent applications," it wrote, but isn't that just misuse of public money? It's worse than waste of money because some of these patents, as we have witnessed in the US, are funded by the public to later be sold to patent trolls, which in turn attack and tax the public. It's like the public paying tax to fund the very weapons that will later be used against that same public.

The above tweet from Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona was retweeted by the EPO, which later added: "The EPO received 2.8% fewer applications from Denmark in 2016" (link to epo.org omitted).

"You forgot to show the map from which you REMOVED Denmark," I told them, alluding to the following series of articles about the insulting map and misleading claims from the EPO:



The EPO copied DKPTO on that tweet. Staff of the DKPTO ought to know what their boss is doing behind closed doors. It's truly despicable. There are probably some countries where he would be arrested for such actions, for charges including -- but not limited to -- animal cruelty.

Thankfully, people who read our articles have begun actively challenging the lies from the EPO. One account that follows me asked them: "How did you search all the criteria (mentioned above) in the databases? Is there an automated and computated process?"

"Thankfully, people who read our articles have begun actively challenging the lies from the EPO."The EPO did not even respond this time around. It wants to just take the discussion out of public sight. It said, "we appreciate your interest & would gladly provide you further details on the methodology. Pls email us at press@epo.org"

Like "press" people are likely to understand the underlying science. They're skilled at misleading and lying more than anything else. That's in their job description almost, and they are now assisted by fracking lobbyists (outside help). Guess who foots the bills for these lies...

"If the EPO wanted to repair its reputation, it would have to delete many of these videos, including the one from Battistelli, in which he insults his staff, the staff representatives, the intelligence of all Europeans, the Boards of Appeal, and the laws of Europe (UPC is completely unconstitutional in a lot of countries)."We have said it before and it's worth repeating: every single day the EPO spreads a lie or two (if not more). It's more than embarrassing; it's totally outrageous. It is damaging to Europe and it paints patents in a very negative light. See this new tweet which says : "Test your knowledge: Which tech field saw the most inventive activity in 2016? This might give you a hint: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quXqa3zr5MI …"

This video is damage control and misdirection, as explained in yesterday's article about it. If the EPO wanted to repair its reputation, it would have to delete many of these videos, including the one from Battistelli, in which he insults his staff, the staff representatives, the intelligence of all Europeans, the Boards of Appeal, and the laws of Europe (UPC is completely unconstitutional in a lot of countries).

Recent Techrights' Posts

It's Only the Second Week of September and Already Two Waves of Layoffs at Microsoft, Slopfarms and Microsoft-Funded Sites Spin It as "AI Investments" Rather Than Commercial Failure
A very large third one expected next week
If Your Machine Still Has "Secure Boot" Enabled, Then Microsoft Has a de Facto Kill Switch (Even If Your Machine Doesn't Have Windows and Never Had Windows)
It is not incorrect to call UEFI 'secure boot' a "kill switch"
Reddit is Corporate Propaganda
To make matters worse, Reddit ousted many original moderators
Jeff Geerling Shocked to Discover Many Metrics in YouTube Are Fake (His Audience Turns Out to be Much Smaller)
Maybe self-host all videos, don't rely on Google's "FOMO" cheating (addiction based on false assumptions)
EPO Workers Point Out that the EPO is Destroying the Planet Under the Guise of "Hey Hi" (It Also Grants Many Invalid Patents Illegally
On 12 March and 16 June 2025, staff representation met with the administration in the Local Occupational Health, Safety and Ergonomics Committee (LOHSEC) in Munich
 
Open Source Initiative (OSI) Culture of Censorship Necessitates More Speech
The OSI bans dissent or people who merely point out that the OSI is abusive
How to Reach Us Discreetly (Other Than Encrypted E-mail)
We're still managing to maintain a 100% source protection record. We soon turn 19.
LLMs Are Vastly Worse Than a Waste of Energy and the Externalities Are Huge
Worse than just higher power bills for everybody
LLMs Versus Search (Not Replacing Search But Engaging in DDoS Attacks Against Web Sites That Permit Searching)
The state of the Web isn't just bad; it's utterly terrible
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, September 08, 2025
IRC logs for Monday, September 08, 2025
The UEFI 9/11 - Part IX - Shunning Old Computers (in 2023 the Certificate Was Updated/Overridden, Underlying Aim May Be Herding/Forcing People to Get TPM and Other 'Novel' Restrictions)
the "upgrade treadmill"
Rumour: Second Wave of Microsoft Mass Layoffs in September to Commence Third Week of September
That basically answers questions like, "Any specific date or time of the month?"
Gemini Links 08/09/2025: Reality, ROOPHLOCH 2025, and Writing Another Gemini Client
Links for the day
Updating Firmware is Not the Solution But Only Additional Risk, Disable "Secure Boot" Today
firmware blobs are buggy, secret, impossible to audit, and barely tested
Microsoft Tim's DevClass (Part of The Register MS/Situation Publishing) is Full of Slop
Looking at many sites that are full of slop images is becoming an eye sore and hallmark of text too likely generated by LLMs or 'assisted' (tainted) by them
Microsoft Trying to Fake Demand for Slop. At What Cost?
That's a giant demotion and broken promises
Sunlight is the Best Disinfectant and Kryptonite/Garlic to Vampires
Transparency (sometimes described by words like "Sunlight" or "Truth") is paramount
The Register MS Uses Slop in Articles About Slop
we are fairly certain it's slop or CG based on other people's work
Visiting a Web Page or a Public URL Should be Safe, Predictable, and Benign
It's probably too late to "fix" the Web
The Register MS (Situation Publishing) is Paid to Spread Mindless Hype for the "Hey Hi" Ponzi Scheme and That's a Serious Problem
"Sponsored by Zoom."
Links 08/09/2025: Burger King Cracked, Cox v. Sony Analysed
Links for the day
Gemini Links 08/09/2025: Socialist Computer Museum and GAFAM/ByteDance/TikTok-Dominated Net
Links for the day
Links 08/09/2025: Tim Crook Disappoints Apple Faithfuls and Zuckerberg Lies (Financial Fraud) for Cheeto King
Links for the day
Turn Off Microsoft's Restricted Boot ("Secure Boot")
We're still running a series on this issue
Social Control Media Sites Have Become Bot Farms (Not Limited to LLMs and Automation)
linkedin.com was nothing but trouble and losses for Microsoft
Deep in Debt With the Magnitude of Losses Quickly Growing, Microsoft "Open" "Hey Hi" Now Uses Broadcom for Vapourware, Pretending It'll Do OK Next Year
At some stage it'll collapse
You Can Tell Microsoft is in Trouble When Its Own Fans and Staff Blast it
"Microsoft sinks billions into chasing artificial intelligence fads to hype up its share price."
Multiple Undersea Cable Cuts and We're Still OK
Microsoft customers experience problems
Lawyers Who Think They Are Online Assassins Don't Deserve a Licence to Operate
they've become a laughing stock in their "sector"
Microsoft Windows Fell to 3.9% "Market Share" in Bahamas
Based on statCounter
How the European Union (EU) Fell Out of Love With Free/Libre Software
Lots of bribery
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Sunday, September 07, 2025
IRC logs for Sunday, September 07, 2025
Gemini Links 07/09/2025: Scanner, Slop, and Chadobear
Links for the day
The UEFI 9/11 is 3 Days Away
Nobody denies that bad things will happen
Google Versus Journalism
Google played a big role in the demise of news sites
Gemini Links 07/09/2025: Advertising, Decentralized Archival, and Outsourcing to Bezos
Links for the day
Certificate Authority Let's Encrypt Has Almost Gone Down to Zero, Nearly Totally Extinct in Geminispace, the Few Capsules Still Using It Are Spam/Dead/Stagnant
This represents another decrease for Let's Encrypt; the last decrease was last week
Not Much Left in News Cycles
To be very clear, this does not describe "Linux" anything; it's true in just about every facet of news, except the paid-for fake "journalism" about "hey hi" (sites getting paid explicitly to maintain or rekindle hype)
Trying to Silence Techrights Was a Huge Mistake
Peter Thiel attacked a publisher for asserting, correctly, that he was gay. Now everyone knows it.
Throwing Away "Old" Computers (Mozilla and Other Climate Deniers)
Mozilla is not leftist
The UEFI 9/11 - Part VIII - Denial of Service and Selling Us WSL (Windows) Instead of "Risky" (Prone by Breakage by Microsoft) GNU/Linux
Restricted Boot (so-called 'SecureBoot') does not improve security. It is nothing but trouble. It's meant to trouble non-Windows users. In dual-boot setups, SecureBoot is a recipe for disaster because Microsoft keeps erasing or tampering with the boot sector, to paraphrase an associate
Slop is Extremely Rare in Geminispace, Slop Images Are Unheard Of (Despite Images Being Supported)
As long as Geminispace grows in terms of domains it's safe to predict the protocol will still be used in 2029 and hence Geminispace will turn 10
Links 07/09/2025: Robodebt Class Action, Fines, and Copyright Settlement
Links for the day
Links 07/09/2025: Yle Impersonated in Social Control Media, Boat-Attacking Orcas, Midjourney Sued Again
Links for the day
Slopwatch: LinuxSecurity, Linux Journal, and the Serial Slopper
Google won't tackle the issue because Google participates not only in relaying slop but also in generating lots of it
Links 07/09/2025: Google Fines in EU and "Your Internet Access Is at Risk"
Links for the day
Gemini Links 07/09/2025: Little Brother and Corporate Theatre
Links for the day
Links 07/09/2025: More Harms of Slop and Anthropic's Nightmare Scenario (Huge Legal Liabilities for Slop)
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Saturday, September 06, 2025
IRC logs for Saturday, September 06, 2025