Bonum Certa Men Certa

EPO Management is Hiding Under the 'Cloud' While Violating Privacy Laws

Video download link | md5sum 8ba68be0bc49f72049d0d1edbb9a3d61



Summary: Facing a barrage of scrutiny for outsourcing the EPO's systems to Microsoft, the EPO has just arranged yet another expensive PR stunt, looking to somehow 'normalise' the unacceptable and the likely illegal

Earlier this year we published a long series about the EPO's biggest privacy violation. See the last part with that series' index ("EPO Administrative Council Still Asleep at the Wheel"); this was hardly the first privacy scandal at the EPO because we've covered such scandals for years. The EPO is aware of a perceptual problem, so it keeps name-dropping 'privacy' and 'data protection' just like oil companies keep mentioning words like sustainable and renewable (greenwashing).



"We've currently aware of potential legal action over this matter; some greenwashing and buzzwords as headlines won't weaken such lawsuits, but they can help change the media's (or public) perception of any imppending/ongoing lawsuits."Towards the end of last week the EPO reaffirmed its concern about the perception of privacy. It did a PR stunt, as explained in the video above.

We're currently aware of potential legal action over this matter; some greenwashing and buzzwords (even as headlines!) won't weaken such lawsuits, but they can help change the media's (or public) perception of any imppending/ongoing lawsuits.

"They keep writing press releases about it and the supposed 'media' sometimes reprints every single word."All this cloudwashing (outsourcing disguised as advancement) won't impress privacy professionals, who look at underlying facts rather than pseudo-technical jargon. The EPO managers asking their provider on the subject is akin to a government accused of war crimes interviewing a bunch of mercenaries; the fact that the EPO is inviting other patent offices to this brainwash/marketing session is rather telling, especially considering the timing.

Days ago we wrote about Azure back/bug doors, which aren't a new problem. It's part of the design. It was never about security but US national security (remote access, espionage); the EPO adding lots of Microsoft links to sidebars, not to mention some acronyms and legalese, is akin to proactive legal defence. They keep writing press releases about it and the supposed 'media' sometimes reprints every single word. Fact-checking? None. Astoundingly enough, JUVE's Amy Sandys is still lying for EPO management like she keeps lying for Team UPC. She seems to be under the impression that copy-pasting press releases from thugs who hijacked the EPO is "journalism"... with the same being done for Team UPC. It comes to show what happened to so-called 'journalism' about patents (where conflict of interest is so prevalent and supposed 'experts' cheer for 'Hey Hi' patents or patents for bots, as if patents for pets and insects are next, calling spiders "inventors" with patents on their webs and web-weaving).

"As noted in the video above, there are good reasons to suspect the issue might trickle out to what's left of the media."That the EPO is defensive of its Microsoft outsourcing deal isn't surprising. They're colluding with them in the abuse; only the EPO is legally immune from prosecution, but Microsoft bribes officials to look the other way and focus on other companies (mostly Google).

As noted in the video above, there are good reasons to suspect the issue might trickle out to what's left of the media. The media that's not already bribed by the EPO for puff pieces or silence...

We are going to write a lot more about that separately as it merits more attention. Maybe this coming week...

Recent Techrights' Posts

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Hijacked Again by Patent Litigation Industry, as President Cheeto Prioritises Aggressors
The "mafia" has taken over the "industry" and the Federal system (justice and constitutions trampled upon)
Ubuntu Slop and FUD Manufactured With LLMs and Funded (by Oneself) 'Studies'
Slop and FUD are ruining the Web
Gemini Links 01/04/2025: Games and More
Links for the day
 
Links 02/04/2025: More Layoffs, Nokia Again Takes Advantage of Illegal and Unconstitutional Patent Court With Nokia Staff as 'Judges'
Links for the day
Links 02/04/2025: Seizures and Returns to Windows of 24 Years Ago
Links for the day
LLM Slop Helps Obscure and Distort News About Layoffs (IBM, GAFAM)
It's hard to find accurate information
Links 02/04/2025: Microsoft Developers Are Threatening to Go on Strike, World Backup Day Noted
Links for the day
Gemini Protocol Has Growing Appeal (the Web Got Too Bloated and Full of LLM Slop)
For any "data plan" with bandwidth limits or "tiers" it would be cheaper to use/browse Geminispace
The Web Can Survive LLM Slop, But Only If We Collectively Shun and Discourage Serial Sloppers
Doing nothing ought not be a possibility
Amid Secret Shut-downs and Mass Layoffs at Microsoft (4 Waves of Layoffs in 3 Months of 2025) Some Microsoft Staff Expected to Go On Strike
workers going on strike
Gemini Links 02/04/2025: No more on Mastodon and Gemini Mention Script in Go
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, April 01, 2025
IRC logs for Tuesday, April 01, 2025
My Motion Disbarring or “Striking Off” Brett Wilson LLP for Enabling Violent Americans Who Try to Crush Microsoft Critics in the United Kingdom by Multiple SLAPPs
"Guns for hire" (for Microsoft people who received Microsoft salaries)
Links 01/04/2025: Apple Fined $162M for Privacy Abuses, Disinformation Online a Growing Concern
Links for the day
Why We're Reporting Brett Wilson LLP for Apparently Misusing Their Licence to Protect American Microsofters Who Attack Women
For those who have not been keeping abreast
Newer Press Reports Confirm That Microsoft Shuts Down 'Hey Hi' (AI) Labs Despite All the Hype
The "hey hi" (AI) bubble is not sustainable
Links 01/04/2025: Mass Layoffs at Eidos and "Microsoft Pulls Back on Data Centers" (Demand Lacking); "Racist and Sexist" Slop From Microsoft
Links for the day
Stefano Maffulli and His Microsoft-Funded OSI Staff Are Killing the OSI and Killing "Open Source" (All for Money!)
This is far from over
Gemini Links 01/04/2025: XKCDpunk and worldclock.py
Links for the day
50 Years of Sabotage and a Gut Punch to Computer Science (and Science in General)
Will we get back to science-based computing rather than cult-like following?
Techrights Headlines as Semaphore
"If you are hearing this, thank you"
3 Months in 2025, 4 Waves of Mass Layoffs at Microsoft, Now Offices Shut Down Permanently
"A recent visit by the South China Morning Post confirmed that the office was dark, unoccupied, and had its logo removed."
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, March 31, 2025
IRC logs for Monday, March 31, 2025
Links 31/03/2025: China Tensions, Bombs Falling in Myanmar After Earthquake
Links for the day
Gemini Links 31/03/2025: Falling Out of Love With Tech, Sunsetting openSNP
Links for the day
R.T.O. at IBM in Texas and Atlanta (State of Georgia) Expected as "Soft Layoffs" Catalyst This Coming Year
It also sounds like more IBM layoffs are in the making
Law Firms Can Also Lose Their Licence for Clearly Misusing It
The bottom line is, never made the false assumption that because you can pile up SLAPPs in a docket you will not suffer from bad reputation or even get disbarred
Link between institutional abuse, Swiss jurists, Debianism and FSFE
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
LLM Slop Piggybacking News About GNU/Linux and Distorting It
new examples
Links 31/03/2025: Press and Democracy Under Further Attacks in the US, Attitudes Towards Slop Sour
Links for the day
Open Source Initiative (OSI) Privacy Fiasco in Detail: The OSI Does Not Respect Anybody's Privacy
The surveillance mafia that bans dissent or key people (even co-founders) with dissenting views
Gemini Links 31/03/2025: More X-Filesposting and Dreaming in Emacs
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Sunday, March 30, 2025
IRC logs for Sunday, March 30, 2025