THE EPO looks like a lost cause, never to be replaced by anything like the UPC (unconstitutional); it's just going to burp out some more low-quality patents like the USPTO did for decades and the world's patent trolls will then follow. It's a sad ending to what used to be a decent (even excellent) patent office; the senior examiners are leaving because that's what the EPO's management now wants. Quality does not matter, only quantity of patents, which António Campinos has just said he intends to increase (we covered that last night).

"The EPO will be doomed with an attitude like this, changing rules for the worse still."The Official Journal of July 2018 (warning: epo.org link) was promoted by the EPO yesterday. We've taken a quick glance. Here's the direct link [PDF] (warning: epo.org link).

Decisions from Ernst and others show that the EPO continues driving into a wall. The EPO will be doomed with an attitude like this, changing rules for the worse still. The work is running out; what then, outsourcing?

"All these sorts of abuses, including mockery of a court system and attacks on judges, play a role in the UPC's demise."Last night we asked openly whether it's true that the EPO is now publishing disciplinary decisions. "I think the plan is that they appear quietly among g decisions," one person later told us. Remember that now, one month after he started his job, Campinos still fails to obey court orders. Campinos has some history of alleged misuse of immunity. All these sorts of abuses, including mockery of a court system and attacks on judges, play a role in the UPC's demise.

A de facto UPC lobbying front, Managing IP, has just done its usual "UPC update" (they no longer use words like "Progress" because there's none). "There have only been a few UPC developments this month, but they have been big ones," Patrick Wingrove wrote. No, not really. Not at all. "Bulgaria" is their talking point right now; they use it like Bristows (as we noted last night). ⬆