Bonum Certa Men Certa

The EPO Conflict Affects Everyone in Europe and We Should Support Patent Examiners, Who Are Also Victims of a Corrupt System (Besieged by Dictators Installed in a Systemic Coup d'État)

The ruling class uses cops in the same way the monopolists use patent examiners (to help guard/secure their monopolies); eventually they spit out or discard those who helped them protect themselves, so we're all in this together

Luciferistelli
This rogue Corsican got the ball rolling and the EPO rotting (still governed by despots who work against Europe, against constitutions, and against the law)



Summary: The EPO crisis is a crisis which affects everyone in Europe; while the EPO pockets billions of euros by breaking the law the workers (i.e. those who do all the actual work under intense pressure which grows over time) see their rewards shrinking and shrinking; it's "class plunder", nothing less, nothing more...

A year ago during the holidays we published a leak about the EPO's attack on its very own pensioners, i.e. people whose EPO careers predate the current attacks on current workers.

Today, with Boxing Day out of the way, we think it would be worthwhile to share what internal staff representatives think about a dictator, António Campinos, who is eager to turn the EPO into a bank instead of a patent office (just printing money or patents, never mind the law).

One year ago, staff representatives published the results of their findings. They actually did proper assessment of the facts, unlike Office management, which basically made up a bunch of lies. And they want us to trust them with the UPC? Insane!!! They care neither about facts nor laws.

Here is something they published half a year earlier, naming some of the culprits (it's a little less self-censored or restrained than the usual tone):

29.05.2020 su20008mp – 0.2.1/4.2.1/0.3.2

Flash report:

BFC meeting of 27/28 May 2020



Dear colleagues,

For the first time, Mr Campinos did not talk directly to your staff representation in preparation of the BFC meeting and delegated this task to Ms Simon (VP4) and Ms Seegert (Head of the President Office) under the close supervision of Mr Requena, husband of Ms Bergot.

The analysis made by Ernst & Young on Mr Campinos’ Financial Study was discussed. Management virulently criticised the report and qualified it as “unprofessional”. They argued it would be untypical for Ernst & Young, who was also a provider of services to the EPO, to criticise other consulting firms and thus the report could have been written by someone who added the Ernst & Young logo on it. The analysis would already be dubious from its cover page mentioning “Reliance restricted”.

To the above accusation, we can only say that management is back into a denial attitude and just trying to discredit and shoot the messenger. As a matter of fact, ‘Reliance restricted’ merely means that Ernst & Young has restricted liability towards the client who commissioned the analysis. We are surprised that management did not criticize the background of the document being yellow or the font being too small.

Management did not make a single comment as to the substance. They neither contested the key observations nor the figures.

In the BFC meeting itself, the delegations unanimously voted in favour of the salary adjustment procedure. Some expressed reservations about others of the six measures in the bundle (especially those related to fees) and/or suggested that further measures might be necessary. Mr Campinos added that an update of the financial study showed that the €2bn buffer had already been eaten up by the crisis caused by Covid-19 pandemic. Mr Campinos did not exclude “activating” further measures with a future, updated, Financial Study.

For our management and our governing body, the reduction of staff benefits will never be enough as long as the production figures fit the given pattern.

SUEPO Munich


Notice the mention of Madame Seegert, who is also mentioned in this publication [PDF]. To quote: "In a meeting chaired by Ms Seegert, Head of the President’s Office, staff representatives enquired about the nature of this day off."

It wasn't really a day off. Over the years more holidays were taken away (denied) from staff, as Benoît Battistelli increased workload and reduced rest time. All this while making work contracts worse. Now Campinos is further lowering salaries.

More detailed analysis can be found here [PDF] and here [PDF], along with short rallies for action ahead of the latest strike:

Salary erosion at EPO

Salary erosion at EPO

"Let's form an alliance with patent examiners, many of whom (that I spoke to) oppose software patents as much as we do. They're scientists, not empty 'suits' like Battistelli and Campinos, two stooges of the litigation 'sector'."This is what unions exist to address and even if you do not support patents (or just reject software patents) remember that many patent examiners at the EPO reject software patents, loathe the very concept, but are forced by management to allow these anyway. The Office is governed by corrupt officials who are connected to Team UPC and the corrupt media that keeps relaying their patently false statements. We'll show some of these false statements in the Daily Links of this coming week (there's still no lack of lies and bogus assertions in so-called 'media' regarding patents; the false statements are their business model). Let's form an alliance with patent examiners, many of whom (that I spoke to) oppose software patents as much as we do. They're scientists, not empty 'suits' like Battistelli and Campinos, two stooges of the litigation 'sector'.

Campinos is a disgusting liar and truly a disgrace to his father's legacy; his father would turn in his grave if he saw how his son wages a war for the oligarchs (against the working class). A year and half ago the staff accused him [PDF] that he "maintains – without convincing evidence - that in 20 years the EPO will face a financial gap in the range of 5.8 bn Euro."

Appalling lie. The truth of the matter is, the EPO illegally stockpiles cash to that tune -- a pile that keeps growing, only to become a gambling venture deserving the wrath of MEPs. If the EU was to properly tackle this whole issue, not only would the UPC be doomed for good; the whole EPO would need a complete overhaul/reboot, including removal of every single high-level official. What we deal with here isn't some infraction but organised crime in Europe's second-largest institution.

Recent Techrights' Posts

Preparations for Our 19th Anniversary Have Already Begun
When we get back we'll probably sort out some balloons and venue for the next party
Pleased After 2 Years With team.blue
Moving from a Content Management System (CMS, dynamic) to a Static Site Generator (SSG) was a wise decision that made life so much easier
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) is Being Attacked by Organisations Jealous of Its Principled Stance and Longevity
Nobody is perfect, but imperfection does not instantaneously imply sinister intent
Many Microsoft "Assets" Are Fabricated Baloney (to Game the Numbers)
At times it seems like what we deal with are many weak patents (on algorithms), valuations or speculations based on hype ("hey hi"), and stocks held by Microsoft and its own staff
"Internal Changes at Red Hat / IBM"
It seems like quite a few people are leaving
Confirmed in French Media: Mass Layoffs (10% Culled) in Microsoft France
Now some reports in French
Microsoft in Freefall in Finland
Can Finland eradicate Windows from all its infrastructure, including core operations that are sensitive to sabotage by cracking?
Google's Chrome Passes 70% and Web Standards Are Dying
The Web is quickly becoming devoid of any standards
Slopwatch: Plagiarism and Ponzi Scheme, Bubble About to Burst Entirely, Admits Goldman Sachs
the hype that Google News and The Register MS actively participate and profit from
 
When Your Site's Articles Are Being 'Cheapened' by Slop as Feature Images
Dr. Farnell should become an advisor to The Register MS
Certificate Authority Let's Encrypt Drops to Only Half a Dozen Capsules and 0.2% of the Whole in Geminispace, Self-Signed is the Way to Go
It used to have hundreds, according to Lupa
Doing to Red Hat What They Already Did (and Still Do) to IBM
there seems to be a drive to hire cheaper staff, and it may be led by somebody Red Hat hired from Microsoft
Links 03/09/2025: Salesforce's Latest Mass Layoffs, 93% in Large Poll at The Register MS Say UK Government Should Dump Microsoft
Links for the day
If You Reject the Google Verdict in the US, Then You Should Also Reject the "Modern" Web (Do Something About It)
Gemini Protocol is still open; it cannot be hijacked or subverted because it's frozen by design and by intention
Open Source Initiative IRS Filing: Almost All the Money is Corporate, Stefano Maffuli (Executive Director) Takes About a Quarter of That Money for Openwashing of "AI" Ponzi Scheme
OSI is currently little but a PR/marketing agency of Microsoft
Many People Are "Leaving" Red Hat, Even High-Level Managers
Something is definitely going on at Red Hat
Techrights Has Been Subjected to Calls of Violence (and Death Threats), It Never Condoned Violence
I have no sympathy for people who call violence "free speech" and then get in trouble
Condoning Violent Behaviour and "Free Speech"
perhaps Microsoft Lunduke lost touch with what constitutes violence
Takeaway From the Google Verdict: GAFAM Has Too Much Control (Even Over the US Government and Courts With Government Appointees)
Many people feel disappointed but hardly surprised by the verdict
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) Turns 40 in One Month
As noted a few days ago, several times in fact, many people now recognise the importance of the FSF's mission, even if most people don't know what the FSF is
"Voluntary" Layoffs at Microsoft (to Game the Numbers, Sugar-Coating a Crisis)
"Employees interested have until the end of October to volunteer."
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, September 02, 2025
IRC logs for Tuesday, September 02, 2025
Links 02/09/2025: Oligarch Tech and Text Encoding Concerns in Ada
Links for the day
"People on LinkedIn Saying That They've Left Red Hat."
We already saw signs of it a month ago and named some of the people
Gone With the BRICs (or BRICS): "Linux 8" in Cuba
GAFAM must be worried
Telecompaper Reports Microsoft to Reduce the Workforce by Another 10% (in France)
Imagine what this will do to staff's morale
India is Back to Windows 8 (Market Share Down to 8%) as Android Soars to a New Record High
For Microsoft, India is a runaway market
Links 02/09/2025: SCO Summit and Russia Suspected Of Jamming GPS
Links for the day
Gemini Links 02/09/2025: Mediterranean Marriage and Staying Connected at 35,000 Feet
Links for the day
The Register MS Says "AI Web Crawlers Are Destroying Websites", So Why Does The Register MS Help 'AI' Companies? (Spoiler: Money)
People need to call out The Register MS on its hypocrisy
Slopfarms Already Peaked, They Will Die When Slop Companies Run Out of Money to Borrow
slopfarms will lack an actual "engine"
Links 02/09/2025: Attacks on Unions, Microsoft TCO, and DDoSing a Growing Problem
Links for the day
Why We Publish Information About the SLAPPs (But Not About the Legal Process), an Abuse of Process by Americans Trying to Silence Critics of Their Employer, Microsoft
It doesn't take thousands of pages to explain something simple
Internet Relay Chat Didn't Fall Off a Cliff
IRC will turn 40 in less than 3 years from now
The UEFI 9/11 - Part V - This is Not a Drill (Disable "SecureBoot" Now)
A "9/11" Coming
There's No Obligation to Speak to Anybody
The very fact that "bkuhn" is till spending time in social control media says a lot about his poor judgment
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, September 01, 2025
IRC logs for Monday, September 01, 2025
Microsoft Trying to Force People to Resign (Amid Mass Layoffs) a Strategy That Takes Its Toll
Microsoft seems to be circling down the drain and the "final flush" will be the moment the "hey hi" (AI) bubble implodes completely
Google Simply Cannot Be Trusted
Only fools would trust GAFAM
Admission That a Third Party (or Parties) Funds the SLAPPs Against Techrights
This can end up costing them over a million dollars
Modifying and Writing One's Own Computer Programs is Not a Crime (or: Google Proves That Stallman Was Right)
We're generally gratified to see so many positive mentions of him
Why We Stopped Publishing Videos (for Now)
We'll probably get back to videos one day, but it's hard to say when or to what extent
What Animal Rights Activism Teaches Us About Sympathy and Focus
It's possible to believe that the planet is warming, that we must do something about it, and still eat eggs and butter
When You Turn Web Sites About Tech Into Political Sites
A lot of people fall into the trap of catering only for particular groups
Gemini Links 02/09/2025: ROOPHLOCH 2025 and Lagrange 1.19 Released
Links for the day
Gemini Links 01/09/2025: News Corp. WSJ and A Month With NixOS
Links for the day
“Sideloading” Never Killed Anybody
There are many online discussions this week about the misnomer "sideloading"
Slopwatch: Google News as FUD Vector Against Linux and Plagiarism Enhancer, Serial Slopper (SS) Uses LLMs to Googlebomb "Linux"
Slop destroys the Web not just by screwing with search engines and helping plagiarists. It's also responsible for de facto DDoS attacks...
Links 01/09/2025: "Attacks on Science" and China's "Soft Power" Grows
Links for the day
Links 01/09/2025: Fresh Backlash Against Slop and "Norway’s Electricity Crisis is About to Hit Britain"
Links for the day
Writing and Coding Isn't Always Enough
Last year we had to assume a role we didn't have before: litigants
Links 01/09/2025: Catching Up (Mostly via Deutsche Welle), "Windows TCO" Effect in UK
Links for the day
Gemini Links 01/09/2025: Linguistic Barriers and "Web 1.0 Hosting"
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Sunday, August 31, 2025
IRC logs for Sunday, August 31, 2025
Autumn Has Come
Autumn should be exciting in all sorts of ways; it'll also mark our anniversary
The UEFI 9/11 - Part IV - External Interference
They all seem to be playing a role in crushing Software Freedom and self-determination for users