Bonum Certa Men Certa

EPO Granted a Controversial European Patent (Under Battistelli) Which May Literally Kill a Lot of People

Access to medicines
Reference: Access to medicines



Summary: The EPO (together with CIPA) keeps promoting software patents; patents that are being granted by the EPO literally put lives at risk and have probably already cost a lot of lives

CORRUPT Battistelli is no longer at the EPO, but his abusive legacy lives on under his leader of choice, compatriot António Campinos. It may take many years if not decades to undo the chaos (assuming that the EPO even has decades left; layoffs are in motion already).



"It may take many years if not decades to undo the chaos (assuming that the EPO even has decades left; layoffs are in motion already)."As covered here on Wednesday (early morning), there's a strong opposition to a hepatitis C patent. It's being discussed this week at the EPO. Catherine Saez, who covered it for IP Watch yesterday, offered a good chronology of this:

The European Patent Office is expected to hold oral proceedings later this week on a challenge filed against a Gilead patent on hepatitis C treatment. Invalidation of the patent would open the way to competition and lower prices, according to civil society groups which initiated the challenge. But according to an EPO source, the company is seeking at most an amendment to the patent.

[...]

According to an EPO source, the patent application was filed by Gilead at the EPO in April 2004, and granted in June 2016 (EP 2604620). Four oppositions were filed with the EPO in March 2017: three joint oppositions from MDM, MSF and the European Public Health Alliance, and from a patent attorney.

The opponents request revocation of the patent in its entirety for reasons of non-compliance with provisions of the European Patent Convention, the source told Intellectual Property Watch, such as lack of novelty and inventive step.

Gilead requests that the patent be maintained in an amended form, the source said.

After the decision is taken by the Opposition Division, it can be appealed by any of the parties at the EPO’s Board of Appeal, according to the source. If the European patent is maintained, it can be contested in front of national jurisdictions of the European countries where the patent was validated, the source explained.


Notice that this was granted under Battistelli. The application had been sitting there for a dozen years prior to that, probably for good reasons.

"The application had been sitting there for a dozen years prior to that, probably for good reasons."It really worries us to think that many poor people (literally poor) will die as a result of this patent. As if Battistelli hasn't already done incredible damage to the European economy, Never mind the fact that half a dozen suicides happened under his watch and some can be attributed, according to insiders, to Battistelli himself.

Funnily enough, Team UPC, whose pressure on Battistelli contributed to these policies and thus to EPO suicides, currently pretends to be the victim.

Yesterday came this article about CIPA's latest propaganda, which piggybacks "World Suicide Awareness Day". To quote: "Brewster’s comments come following an IP Inclusive and CIPA survey that showed that 33 percent of patent professionals are uncomfortable, unhappy or very unhappy, with disturbing numbers confessing to thoughts of self-harm or suicide."

"His father came from Angola, so certainly he should know the impact of the above patent on hepatitis C treatments (access to medicines)."We already responded to it last week. Dirty CIPA is pretending to be the victim. What about all those whom it is threatening? How many committed suicide over the years because of threats of lawsuits if not the lawsuits themselves? I spoke to some who faced incredible emotional distress due to that. They're neither in law firms nor at the EPO.

Speaking of CIPA, as of yesterday the EPO was still tweeting about their joint advocacy for software patents in London; they're still promoting this agenda with 3-4 tweets per day! It's growing in frequency over time. It's like Campinos totally takes the gloves off not only when it comes to layoffs but also patent scope/quality. Shame on Campinos. His father came from Angola, so certainly he should know the impact of the above patent on hepatitis C treatments (access to medicines). These people do not seem to care. They're greedy psychopaths who surround themselves by thugs.

Recent Techrights' Posts

New Series: A Deep Dive Into the Severe Corruption of the Open Source Initiative (OSI), Nowadays a Front Group and Lobbyist of Microsoft
There's a lot to show
Doing Free Software for a Living in an Era or a Time of Abundance of Code (and Fast Internet to Pass It Around Freely) or Writing When the Web is Attacked by LLM Slop
Tailoring code to needs is the key
The UEFI hype and Microsoft's lies
By Sami Tikkanen
New Video Clip of Richard Stallman's Latest Visit to and Talks in Italy
Richard Stallman or RMS giving his latest talk last week
For the First Time GNU/Linux is Measured at Over 4% in Europe (Not Counting ChromeOS/Chromebooks)
Europe, on average, is now estimated to have GNU/Linux on 1 in 25 Web-connected laptops/desktops
 
After Fund-raising Campaign the Free Software Foundation Still Raises About $13,000 Per Week (Without Campaigning for New Donors/Members)
Richard Stallman in the Board is not a liability
Links 03/03/2025: 'Monetisation' Myth' and Microsoft's LLMs Helping Criminals
Links for the day
The New Series About the Open Source Initiative (OSI) and the Microsoft Entryism in OSI is Closely Related to the SLAPP Against Techrights
Also based on the leading publication that they want removed
Links 03/03/2025: Mass Layoffs in IBM China, Intel Still in Trouble
Links for the day
3 Out of 4 in Cuba Use Linux to Access the Web
Maybe change does come about...
Links 02/03/2025: Day Off, POWER9, Console Challenge
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Sunday, March 02, 2025
IRC logs for Sunday, March 02, 2025
Microsoft Windows Falls to All-Time Low in Thailand
We're seeing many all-time records like these so far in 2025
Gemini Links 02/03/2025: Snowdrop Flower and Hostile Leaders
Links for the day
Links 02/03/2025: Microsoft Outlook Goes Offline, Foreign-Owned Social Control Media Interfering With Fair Elections
Links for the day
According to statCounter, Windows Falls Off a Cliff in Maharlika, GNU/Linux Surges to 5%
But mobile is king
Windows Used by Only One in Six Asians to Access the Web, According to statCounter
maybe more governments in Asia should move away from Microsoft
GNU/Linux Reaches 5% in Brazil, an All-Time High According to statCounter
There are hundreds of millions of people in that country
Google Already Dominates the Global South (via Android/Linux)
If one puts aside Russia and east Europe, not many countries exist that still connect to the Web from Windows more than from Android
GNU/Linux Widespread in Finland, Sweden, and Norway
Sweden has many Chromebooks in schools3 nations
Germany's Incoming Leader Said He'd Seek More Independence from the US, GNU/Linux Soars to 6%
Last month it was 5%
Over 2 Years of LLM Hype and Nothing to Show for It
People still use search, not chatbots
Apple's iOS Almost Bigger Than Windows Now (Internationally), Windows Falls to 22% According to statCounter
Without Windows domination, there's not much left going for Microsoft
Putin's Loyal DOGE
We hereby crown Arvind Krishna "Putin's DOGE"
The Media Barely Reported This (Late Friday): IBM Lays Off About 2,000 More Workers, Effective Hours Ago
Maybe some diversity programs can help IBM recruit slaves or grossly-underpaid staff
Microsoft Money Being Spent to Bully Techrights Only Legitimises Techrights
The longer it goes on for, the greater the Streisand Effect
Suing One's Way Out of Real Trouble Won't Work (It Merely Increases the Trouble)
"Guns for hire" in London can only issue "legal" threats
Microsoft Writing Articles About Microsoft, Using Microsoft LLMs
Right now there are many articles about Microsoft Outlook being down completely
Gemini Links 02/03/2025: OFFLFIRSOCH 2025 and Programming
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Saturday, March 01, 2025
IRC logs for Saturday, March 01, 2025
Another Day and Another LLM Slopfest From Madame Day at the Slopfarm LinuxSecurity.com
Can't take a break, can she?
Sucking Up to Fascists (Like IBM's Watson Sucked Up to Adolf Hitler in the 1930s) Did Not Help IBM
IBM could stick to better principles, but instead it treats the Free software community and even its own staff like trash
Links 01/03/2025: GB News Loses Over 100 Million Pounds, Zelensky Wins World's Sympathy
Links for the day
Getting Serial Sloppers to Knock the Habit of Plagiarism by LLM Slop
All in all, the fewer the slop objects, the better
As Prices Soar and Services Shut Down (Even YouTube Starts Demanding Money for the Original or a Tolerable Experience) It's Time to Explore the Real Alternatives
https://inv.nadeko.net is the most viable instance of Invidious these days
Gemini Links 01/03/2025: Amends and GNU/Linux
Links for the day
Links 01/03/2025: Scam Altman's Latest Excuse, Google Price Hikes
Links for the day
Justice Will Find Its Way at the End
We deserve an award, not SLAPP, for what we've done
March Already, Rumours of IBM Layoffs in Brazil
Red Hat might be impacted too
Links 01/03/2025: Squashing Software Patents, USPTO Facing Additional Cuts
Links for the day
Links 01/03/2025: UNM Gopher and Getting One's Pages on gemini://
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Friday, February 28, 2025
IRC logs for Friday, February 28, 2025