Bonum Certa Men Certa

Virtual Injustice -- Part 5: Benoît's “Friends” in Budapest

Previously in the series:

  1. Virtual Injustice -- Part 1: António's Increasingly Wonky Legal Fudge Factory
  2. Virtual Injustice -- Part 2: The ViCo Oral Proceedings of 28 May 2021
  3. Virtual Injustice -- Part 3: All the President's Men…
  4. Virtual Injustice -- Part 4: Mihály Ficsor, the EPO's Hungarian “Fixer”


Ficsor (left) and Bendzsel (right)
The Hungarian delegates, Ficsor (left) and Bendzsel (right), were important players on the Administrative Council during the Battistelli-Kongstad era.



Summary: "Battistelli went to considerable lengths to secure the support of the Hungarian delegation."

Due to Hungary's prominent role within the Viségrad Group, the director of the Hugarian IPO, Miklós Bendzsel, and his deputy Ficsor became significant players on the EPO's Administrative Council during the Battistelli-Kongstad era.



As a matter of fact, Battistelli went to considerable lengths to secure the support of the Hungarian delegation.

Shortly after he had announced that he was in the running for the position of EPO President, Battistelli popped up in Budapest in August 2009 to lobby the Hungarians for their support.

Battistelli lobbying the Hungarians in Budapest
Left: Battistelli lobbying the Hungarians in Budapest in August 2009. Right: Battistelli at the European Inventor Award in Budapest in 2011.



HIPO 2009 extract
From HIPO (2009 extract) [PDF]



Following the success of his campaign to take over at the helm of the EPO, Battistelli rewarded his "friends" in Budapest for their support by choosing the Danubian metropolis as the location for the European Inventor of the Year Award boondoggle in 2011.

"Following the success of his campaign to take over at the helm of the EPO, Battistelli rewarded his "friends" in Budapest for their support by choosing the Danubian metropolis as the location for the European Inventor of the Year Award boondoggle in 2011."Bendzsel was also selected as the deputy chairman of the Administrative Council, probably because he could be counted on to follow without question the course set by Kongstad and his puppet-master Battistelli.

As we mentioned in the last part the Hungarians for their part helped to legitimate Batistelli's Croatian Bulldog, Željko Topić, by presenting him with the Jedlik Ányos Award in 2012, shortly before he took up his position as EPO Vice-President.

In order to secure the long-term loyalty of his Magyar vassals, Battistelli promised them that Budapest would become the home of a dedicated training centre for the newly appointed judges of the Unified Patent Court (UPC) which - at that time - was predicted to start operating in 2015.

House of the Hungarian Culture Foundation undergoing renovation in 2013
House of the Hungarian Culture Foundation undergoing renovation in 2013.



The House of the Hungarian Culture Foundation in the historic Castle Quarter of Buda was earmarked as the location for the training centre and an extensive renovation took place during 2013 and the beginning of 2014.

House of the Hungarian Culture Foundation after renovation
House of the Hungarian Culture Foundation after renovation.



Finally in March 2014 (warning: epo.org link), the great and good of the European IP world assembled in Budapest to celebrate the official opening of the UPC judges' training centre.

Speakers at the official opening of the UPC judges' training centre in Budapest (March 2014).
Speakers at the official opening of the UPC judges' training centre in Budapest (March 2014).



The speakers at the opening ceremony included Battistelli, Campinos - who at that time was head of the OHIM/EUIPO which deals with trademarks not patents! - and the head of the HIPO, Bendzsel.

Bendzsel's deputy, Ficsor, was also in attendance as a guest of honour as we shall see in the next part.

UPC Délibáb: the lavishly renovated training centre hasn't managed to open for business as planned
UPC Délibáb: the lavishly renovated training centre hasn't managed to open for business as planned.



In the end the dream of playing a central role in the UPC project - which Battistelli had sold to his Hungarian allies in order to secure their support for his "reign of terror" at the EPO - turned out to be an unfortunate case of "délibáb".

"Délibáb" is a Hungarian word denoting a natural phenomenon that can be observed on the Puszta or Great Hungarian Plain in the summertime. It is a type of heat-induced mirage or "fata morgana" caused by a temperature inversion in the atmosphere - an optical illusion produced by the conjunction of the sun, the sky, and the flat landscape. The word is used by Hungarians in a metaphorical sense to refer to wishful thinking or pipe-dreams.

"The UK Brexit referendum in June 2016 and the German constitutional challenge by Ingve Stjerna in 2017, led to the UPC being put on the back-boiler and created serious doubts about the viability of the project."And so it came to pass that despite all the official pomp and circumstance in March 2014, the lavishly renovated training centre in the historical centre of Budapest never actually commenced operation as planned.

The UK Brexit referendum in June 2016 and the German constitutional challenge by Ingve Stjerna in 2017, led to the UPC being put on the back-boiler and created serious doubts about the viability of the project.

To cap it all, there was also a constitutional challenge to the UPC in Hungary itself. This resulted in a ruling of the Hungarian Supreme Court in June 2018, according to which Hungary could not ratify the treaty.

"Due to the ongoing legal uncertainty surrounding the project, the UPC now seems to have been mothballed for the foreseeable future - if not permanently canned."Finally in March 2020 the German Federal Constitutional Court upheld Stjerna's challenge to the UPC. This placed the ball back in the court of the Federal Parliament as far as Germany was concerned.

Instead of subjecting the UPC project to proper legislative scrutiny, the Federal Parliament of Germany opted for another precipitous rubber-stamping procedure.

This second attempt at UPC ratification by Germany is the subject of renewed constitutional challenges which are pending before the Federal Constitutional Court.

"In the upcoming parts we will look at Ficsor's close connections to Campinos and examine what he did after he left the HIPO in 2016 and how he ended up at the EPO in 2020."Due to the ongoing legal uncertainty surrounding the project, the UPC now seems to have been mothballed for the foreseeable future - if not permanently canned.

Any plans that Ficsor may have had for a cushy little pre- or post-retirement sinecure at the lavishly renovated judges' training centre in Budapest are unlikely to come to fruition.

In the upcoming parts we will look at Ficsor's close connections to Campinos and examine what he did after he left the HIPO in 2016 and how he ended up at the EPO in 2020.

Recent Techrights' Posts

Digital Sanitation Good Practices
leave behind Microsoftism
10 Days Ago Richard Stallman Gave a Long Interview in French (linuxfr.org)
English translation
Science, Not Fast Food/Junk Food
The commercial exploitation of users won't stop until users exercise full control over their software or - more broadly - their computing (including data)
[Video] Dr. Richard Stallman at Technické Univerzitě v Liberci
New/via libre-liberec.cz
 
Of Note: UbuntuPIT Aware of Critics of Slop, Adds Disclosure of Use of LLMs
We appreciate the honesty
Links 18/10/2025: Madagascar's President Flees and ICE Arrests Protest Comedian Robby Roadsteamer
Links for the day
Richard Stallman Near the European Patent Office (EPO) in 3 Days From Now
It'll be a good opportunity for patent examiners to listen, ask questions, and maybe greet him in person
From Scholar to Booster of Slop (and Even Slop in His Own Blog)
We're going to keep an eye on future posts of his
End of Vista 10 Also Good News for the BSDs
There are many news sites that recommend trying GNU/Linux this month
What's Wrong With Liking Parrots or Birds as Pets?
They'd demonise people for speaking about freedom, no matter what they say or do
The Free Software Foundation, Which Has Appointed a 43-Year-Old President, is Looking to Add Another Board Member (or Treasurer)
expect the FSF to add more people
Richard Stallman Confirms Next Week's Talk at Technical University of Munich, We Urge EPO Staff to Attend
That's probably late enough for EPO staff to attend after work
Gemini Links 18/10/2025: Notifications and Geminaut
Links for the day
Many Red Hat People Are Leaving, But It'll Be Framed Publicly as Leaving IBM
Similarly, IBM layoffs (or "RAs" as they're called) include Red Hat layoffs
Expect More Waves of Microsoft Layoffs This Month (at Least Two Rounds Confirmed Already)
From what we can gather, assuming the recent rumours about XBox are true, there will be at least 3 waves of Microsoft layoffs this month alone
Security Issues in Cisco and Jenkins Passed Off as "Linux" Problems
Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt (FUD) tactics
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Friday, October 17, 2025
IRC logs for Friday, October 17, 2025
Slopwatch: LinuxSecurity, Linux Journal (Slashdot Media), UbuntuPIT, and Google News (Noise)
egregious plagiarism
Links 17/10/2025: Better Answers Sought After Air Crashes, "China Fans Patriotic Sentiment as Trade War With U.S. Heats Up"
Links for the day
Security is Desirable, But Not When the Term Security is Misused to Imply Centralisation of "Trust" (Whose?)
'Security' is not an excuse for vendor lock-in
Links 17/10/2025: Fentanylware (CheeTok) Causing Problems, Japanese Government Blasts Slop
Links for the day
The Linux Foundation Seems to Have Turned Linux.com Not Only Into a Spamfarm But Also LLM Slopfarm
it's polluting the Web, even important domains like Linux.com, with spam and LLM slop
Links 17/10/2025: UK’s Largest Breach Penalty and Windows TCO Examples
Links for the day
Go Watch Video About Librephone, Get Microsoft Ads
Very ethical company...
Campaign of Defamation Against the People Who Built NixOS (and Are Now Pushed Out From Their Own Project)
We've already grown familiar with - and resistant to - such tactics
Links 17/10/2025: Nestlé Crisis, Canada Post Versus 'Gig Economy' [sic] and Vista 11 Breaks Itself
Links for the day
Tux Machines Has Helped Separate Opinions/Analysis From News
In September 2023 we decided to split things apart and not repeat links in both sites
Tux Machines Has Improved Navigation of GNU/Linux and BSD News
Some more 'wiring' work
What a World Would Look Like If Everyone Used Free Software Only
Freedom is what matters, not "Open".
The Media Helps Microsoft, Amazon and Others (GAFAM and Beyond) Lie About Mass Layoffs Amid Valuation Bubble
The media, instead of saying that there's an "AI bubble" crashing the economy might instead choose the narrative of "jobs replaced by AI"
Bad Tempered? You Might Have Just Given Away That You're Losing the Argument
Brett Wilson LLP is fully aware that it is being investigated
Richard Stallman (RMS) is a Target of Defamation Campaigns Because of His Views on Software (But Politics Are the Excuse for Defaming Him)
Here in this site we try to refrain from politics, except in Daily Links
End of Vista 10 and Rise of GNU/Linux as Client Side Operating System
It seems certain GNU/Linux will grow in popularity over time
Taking Stock of a Week's Worth of EPO Leaks
We remain committed to exposing EPO corruption as long as it keeps happening
Mathieu Parreaux claims FINMA knew since day one
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Calumny, Libel, Joerg Jaspert & debian-private untouchable cyberbullies
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Thursday, October 16, 2025
IRC logs for Thursday, October 16, 2025
Techrights Turns 19 in 3 Weeks
coverage of suppressed topics and protecting all sources/whistleblowers
International E-Waste Day Same Day as End of Vista 10
message from Akira Urushibata
The EPO's Central Staff Committee Presents Evidence That Staff Compensation Lowered While the Office Increases Income by Illegally Granting Invalid Patents
These people become millionaires by doing illegal things
Second or Third Wave of Microsoft Mass Layoffs in October 2025, This Time Portugal
Those are just the ones we know about, there may be several more
'Help Net Security' (helpnetsecurity.com) May Have Become a Slopfarm as Well
Zeljka Zorz, Editor-in-Chief at Help Net Security, was reported to us
Gemini Links 17/10/2025: Rant About Network Solutions, Strange Anomaly on Lagrange
Links for the day
EPO Staff Representation Lacks Social Dialogue With Relevant Management, Controversial and Sometimes Illegal Policies Implemented Without Necessary Input
"In this open letter, the CSC requests that the President submits an agenda item in the next available General Consultative Committee (GCC) meeting on setting up regular meetings between the CSC and the higher management of DG1."
Links 16/10/2025: Political Leftovers and Gemini Protocol Links
Links for the day
Lies Need to be Corrected
the Court never invited us
Slopwatch: Guardian Digital (linuxsecurity.com), Slashdot, Google News, and More
Maybe one day, once the bubble pops completely, Google News will just outright delist all slopfarms
Lufthansa Modern Slavery, Joerg Jaspert (ganneff) & Debian NSB Softwareentwicklung charade
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Links 16/10/2025: US Starting More Trade Wars With China, CIA War on Venezuela
Links for the day
SUSE Blog is Still LLM Slop, Marketing Manager at SUSE Cannot Write
Would you buy from a company or seek support from a company that cannot even write (or fakes writing)?
Pretend You're Not Dead: Microsoft Spent Almost Two Decades Rebranding Things as "Cloud, Then "AI", Now "XBox" and "Quantum"
"AI" bubble pops, Microsoft harping about "quantum" already
IBM Allegedly Found New Tricks for Silent Layoffs: LPI, Then MIS (Not PIP)
Remember that "Red Hat layoffs" won't be reported after the bluewashing
Links 16/10/2025: Red Lines and Feeding of Microsoft Trolls
Links for the day
MIT as a Propaganda Mill of GAFAM, Paid by GAFAM
"the news" today
Links 16/10/2025: Lies Euphemised as ‘Dueling Versions of Reality’ and Microsoft "Open" "Hey Hi" Resorts to Porn as No Business Model Was Found
Links for the day
The Local Staff Committee Munich (Representation of the EPO's Staff) Explains When Cluster of Pregnancies May Result in Reduced Pay
"...even one week of part-time working is sufficient to reduce the salary you perceive during the entirety of your maternity leave."
Another Black Eye for 'Secure Boot', Microsoft Media Tries to Blame "Linux"
It enables Microsoft to remotely control computers, even computers that don't run Windows and never had any Microsoft software installed
Slopwatch: UbuntuPIT, linuxsecurity.com, and Various Slopfarms in Google News Attacking "Linux"
A new survey of the Web said that the majority of the Web is now slop (that's being said in the news this week)
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Wednesday, October 15, 2025
IRC logs for Wednesday, October 15, 2025
Links 16/10/2025: Increased Use of Social Control Media Surveillance in US, French Rage Over Pensions
Links for the day