One year ago: 'Efficiency' in Action: António Campinos is Sending Jobs Abroad, Then Gagging Critics

Summary: The patent office that used to be the world's best has deteriorated and become one of the world's worst in terms of atmosphere and human rights (routinely trampled upon by management that exploits immunity)

THE European Patent Office (EPO) under the leadership of António Campinos is still an appalling workplace with no job security and examiners are compelled to grant software patents in Europe in direct defiance of the EPC, which makes them reluctantly complicit (because they're afraid of losing their job, whereupon they need to leave the country with their family).

As one EPO insider put it a short while ago: "With the arrival of the new president #campinos nothing significant has changed... noppes, nada, niente! On the contrary, following the recent developments, the union busting done by the administration continues even worse as [sic] before. Really depressing for all staff involved."

"Many suicides are a symptom of the problem. From a dream job it turned into a stressful nightmare and a high proportion of EPO workers seek professional mental support."It often feels as if the US controls the 'European' Patent Office. "The European Patent Office (EPO) is holding a seminar for US‑based patent attorneys," says this new page (warning: epo.org link), which a day ago the EPO promoted as follows: "What are the advantages of using the EPO as PCT International Searching Authority? We'll present them at our upcoming events in Houston and Washington..."

Yes, Houston, Texas. That part of Texas (east). Imagine the USPTO holding patent events across Europe as often as the EPO goes to the US to promote software patents and other such nonsense. The EPO just keeps promoting software patents in Europe and yesterday it wrote: "Why attend our Patenting #Blockchain conference? For one, you'll be able to develop your knowledge of blockchain-related examination practice at the EPO. For more reasons, see here: http://bit.ly/EPOblockchain18 pic.twitter.com/C0ezZCizPX"

Welcome to EPO 2.0. It's a software patents powerhouse. What would the founding fathers (behind the EPC) have said? It all went wrong. Many suicides are a symptom of the problem. From a dream job it turned into a stressful nightmare and a high proportion of EPO workers seek professional mental support. ⬆