Summary: The misguided idea that the objective (overall) should be to grant as many monopolies as possible (to spur a lot of litigation) isn't being challenged in echo chamber 'events', set up and sponsored by think tanks and pressure groups of the litigation 'industry'

TODAY we shall write a lot about patent scope, software patents in Europe and in the US in particular. It is generally a symptom of the patent system getting hijacked by those who were originally meant to service scientists. Roles have been reversed and scientists are now expected to provide "demand" (or cash flow) for lawyers, who sometimes just sue scientists without prior provocation (many patent trolls are just lawyers).

According to this hours-old blog post from Satoshi Watanabe, the patent trolls' think tank (IAM), which is also a Battistelli mouthpiece (he's an author and keynote speaker to them), is nowadays in Japan spreading the 'religion' (litigation 'industry' psyche). The think tank entertains accompanying 'studies' etc. "The chart compares the number and ratio of patent applications filed to Japan by US, Korean, and German companies," Watanabe says, "respectively compared between a period of 2002-2006 and 2012-2016. The JPO studies all the patent applications which are filed both to US and Europe. The yellow bar in the chart indicates the number and ratio of patent applications whose counterparts were not filed to Japan, while the blue bar indicates those whose counterparts were filed to Japan. They obviously reduced patent application filings to Japan."

So what? So there may be fewer monopolies. Is that a bad thing? It's only necessarily a bad thing for the litigation 'industry'. The USPTO is currently paying the price for over-granting for a number of decades.

Hours ago also came Watchtroll's promotion of the EPO's charade with IPO, in which they promote software patents under the guise of 'automobiles' (as we last noted yesterday). It's all about inflating the number of patents, irrespective of patent quality, merit, necessity etc. "The impetus for this interview," Watchtroll admits upfront, "is the upcoming EPO Automotive and Mobility Seminar, which will be held in Chicago, IL, immediately after the Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO) 2018 Annual Meeting, on September 26-27, 2018. Romano-Götsch will be participating in this EPO program, providing a landscape and overview on the morning of September 26, as well as participating on a panel and providing closing remarks on September 27."

It's somewhat of an inner/insider joke at the EPO that those who get rewarded or promoted are those who suck up to Battistelli and Bergot. That makes one wonder about Romano-Götsch's motivations. To participate alongside zealots like IPO says a lot about oneself. ⬆