Bonum Certa Men Certa

'Priceless' Tickets to the EPO's Back End and Team UPC

These tickets don't even name the price of the workshop

CIPA's ticket



Summary: CIPA's and the EPO's event (later this week) is more of the same; the EPO exists not to serve European businesses but a bunch of law firms and their biggest clients (which usually aren't even European)

THE leak we've just published shows what goes on behind the scenes at the European Patent Office (EPO). The funny thing is, it would not have to be leaked had EPO not worked in the dark. António Campinos is very secretive; how many of his opaque decisions are open to outside scrutiny? Think about it...



"This is no laughing matter because these policies can break (or fail) Europe's industry, which has lots of SMEs."The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) does not gamble with its money the way the EPO does. It receives Federal budget and it has reports; it can also be sued (as habitually happens). Opaque selection of venues (like European award ceremonies) and people (like Breton as head jurist for such events) can be confronted by FOIA lawsuits. But not at the EPO.

"Judging by the program (London), it is -- as usual from Research and Markets -- patent maximalism, complete with the UPC nonsense."The US is openly debating 35 U.S.C. ۤ 101/Alice (biased debates nonetheless, but the public can see these and scrutinise, accordingly), whereas the EPO rationalises software patents in Europe privately, using false 'economics' from people who lack a technical background. This is no laughing matter because these policies can break (or fail) Europe's industry, which has lots of SMEs.

Yesterday the EPO posted some more tweets about SME something. But we already know, based on leaks, that the EPO is run for (and by) large multinationals. It's hardly European and patents granted to the US aren't far behind (in number) Europe's.

"At the cost of what? It does not say. So I filled in a mock registration (to see what SMEs would need in order to participate)."We've just noticed that the Dublin-based Research and Markets does European Patent Office (EPO) indoctrination, under the umbrella of "the European Patent System," and markets this a year in advance. "This two-day seminar for Administrative Staff in the Patent Profession on how to competently prepare an application for filing before the EPO," it says. "Providing an introduction to the European patent system and how to proceed with an European patent application an much more."

"They're conspiring to violate the EPC and push the UPC."Judging by the program (London), it is -- as usual from Research and Markets -- patent maximalism, complete with the UPC nonsense. Suffice to say, that's very bad for SMEs. Later this week the EPO will be in London alongside CIPA, which is a front group for patent zealots and trolls. They're worse than hedge funds. The EPO retweeted this yesterday: "Come and join us and the @EPOorg at @TheCIPA in #London on 5 or 6 Dec. We will be providing an update on our latest and upcoming online service developments."

At the cost of what? It does not say. So I filled in a mock registration (to see what SMEs would need in order to participate). There's a special relationship between CIPA (major component of Team UPC) and Team Battistelli. Remember this photo op:

CIPA meeting with Stephen Jones
Stephen Jones (former IP Kat chief, after the founder's retirement) standing next to Battistelli while lobbying for UPC



The above photo op is especially damning considering the context of it. They're conspiring to violate the EPC and push the UPC. As "Proof of the pudding" put it in IP Kat comments yesterday (in relation to this):

An interesting question.

Article 2(2) EPC provides that "The European patent shall, in each of the Contracting States for which it is granted, have the effect of and be subject to the same conditions as a national patent granted by that State, unless this Convention provides otherwise".

It seems to me that most EPC Contracting States, including the UK, view "subject to the same conditions" as meaning that the substantive conditions of patentability for an EP patent must be the same as those for a national patent.

There are clearly examples of EPC Contracting States taking different views on the level of harmonisation mandated by the EPC ... and not just in connection with the definition of the relevant prior art (ie the grace period). But does that justify the UK ignoring its obligations under the EPC in connection with such a crucial provision as novelty?

I guess that how one answers that question will depend upon how comfortable one is with the EPC becoming a Convention that is honoured more in the breach than the observation... of course bearing in mind that the EPC provides the foundations for the UPC Agreement.


Well, the UPC Agreement (UPCA) is failing because the EPC is routinely being violated. The EPO has become totally shameless about it. As recently as yesterday the EPO bragged about giving illegal patents using "latest trends". It's like this almost every day.

"Well, the UPC Agreement (UPCA) is failing because the EPC is routinely being violated.""Millions of people use Espacenet," said the EPO in yesterday's tweet. "How come less than a handful use the forums? They probably just exaggerate/make up the figures," I responded. These forums are truly pathetic. "Now it's got new features and functions," the EPO said, "Haven’t seen them yet?"

We very much doubt MILLIONS of people browse such documents. There aren't even that many patent lawyers in the whole world. Then again, the EPO regularly lies to everyone. It's 10:30 here already, so the EPO must have posted some more lying tweets about "SMEs" by now. Gotta run!

Recent Techrights' Posts

Traf-O-Data, the Company That Jeffrey Epstein's BFF (Bill Gates) (Co)Founded 53 Years and Went Out of Business Due to Heavy Losses
Who will die first, Bill or Microsoft?
 
GNU/Linux Growing in East Asia, Windows by Default No More?
GNU/Linux is now on the shelf
Slopwatch: Anti-Linux 'Articles' From Linux-Hostile LLMs
It is almost always negative things and nobody can be held responsible for it except the charlatans prompting the LLMs
Links 05/04/2025: Fentanylware (TikTok) "Sale Looks Highly Imminent" (US), Stock Market Drowning in Panic
Links for the day
Gemini Links 05/04/2025: Moving Plants, No to Smartwatches, RAID Hygiene
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Friday, April 04, 2025
IRC logs for Friday, April 04, 2025
Techrights Has Dealt With More Potent SLAPPs Than Violent Microsofters Begging to Hide What They Did to Women
I became accustomed to SLAPPs
Links 04/04/2025: Fury in South Korea, Flight MH370 Remains Mystery
Links for the day
Gemini Links 04/04/2025: Anger and Raspberry Pi CM4
Links for the day
Links 04/04/2025: LLM Slop Bubble Bursting and Korea Music Copyright Association Bans Slop 'Music'
Links for the day
Why Microsoft's Shares Sank Almost 20% in Recent Months (the Bubble is Imploding)
verified press reports from the past 24 hours
A Note on SimilarWeb
Or why SimilarWeb is meaningless for more than 99% of the sites on the Web
GNU/Linux Rises to Almost 5% in Algeria While Windows Sinks to All-Time Low
GNU/Linux grew tenfold
Where to Get More Gags
A valued reader recommended that to us
Links 04/04/2025: Tech Stock (Inc. GAFAM) Fall, Google Pretends to Do End-to-End Encrypted Emails (With Google in Control)
Links for the day
IBM Said to be Shutting Down Offices or Sites in the United States
the press can no longer avoid admitting that IBM moves many jobs to India
To Participate in Fedora Diversity You Must Use Proprietary Software
Not for the first time either
LLM Slop as Attack Vector on the Reputation of Linux
The attacks on Linux have escalated to information warfare
Yandex About to Be Three Times Bigger Than Microsoft (Bing) in Asia
That's about 60% of the world's population
Gemini Links 04/04/2025: Decoupling Updates, Elaho as Gemini Client
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Thursday, April 03, 2025
IRC logs for Thursday, April 03, 2025
Microsoft's Trouble in Africa and Asia
A new all-time high for GNU/Linux
Brett Wilson LLP Reported to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA)
The saddest thing in all this is that law firms can maintain high standards shall they wish to
Links 03/04/2025: Tariff Pains and C.D.C. Cuts
Links for the day
StatCounter: Microsoft is Masking a Disaster, It's Way Behind DeepSeek Already and Interest in LLMs Has Waned
it turns out the money "raised" for "Open" "AI" may not even exist at all
Links 03/04/2025: SoftBank Money for Microsoft "Open" "AI" Probably Doesn't Even Exist, Wikimedia Foundation Blasts LLM Nuisance While Microsoft Admits Demand Has Shrunk
Links for the day
Gemini Links 03/04/2025: Patch Panel and Pictures
Links for the day
Islamic Republic of Iran: GNU/Linux at All-time High This Month, Windows Falls to 12%
Vista 10 is up this month despite being "end of life" (EoL) soon
Indonesia: All-Time Highs for GNU/Linux
What's noteworthy right now is the growth of GNU/Linux
statCounter Says GNU/Linux Usage is Up Again (Internationally)
some preliminary April data
Only on April 1st Can the Free Software Foundation Associate With Microsoft's Open Source Initiative (OSI)
We saw some pranks that day linking the FSF to Microsoft (e.g. "endorsing" Windows)
Confirmed in the Mainstream Media: A Lot of Microsoft "Workloads" Were Just LLM Slop (Helping to Fake Growth for Years, as Microsoft Had Paid "Open" "AI" to Become a "Client") and Demand is Rapidly Waning, Datacentres Canceled and/or Shut Down
Anything to facilitate further accounting fraud
Taiwan's Media Covers Closure of Microsoft's "AI" Lab, It's Time to Talk About the Gradual Death of Windows and Implosion of the "AI" Bubble
Earlier this week we showed that mostly Asian media had the 'nerve' to mention Microsoft silently shutting down its 'AI' lab
IBM Gets Rid of Kelly Chambliss as Mass Layoffs Reported in IBM Consulting, IBM Loses Key Contracts/Graft
IBM Consulting has been in disarray lately
More Gains for GNU/Linux, Based on Web Surveys
the Steam site shows rapid growth for "Linux" this month
Slopwatch: Anti-Linux Articles, Not Even Written by Humans
Why aren't Web sites more vocal about this problem?
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Wednesday, April 02, 2025
IRC logs for Wednesday, April 02, 2025
Links 03/04/2025: Apple Fined Over Secret Surveillance, "Elegant Writer For A More Civilized Age"
Links for the day