Bonum Certa Men Certa

The EPO is Run by Dictators, Elected Staff Representatives Are Left Out of Key Consultations

Video download link | md5sum d61cabdab8e14a34185a0b3ba94916a6 Dictators-Run EPO Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0



Summary: Clueless politicians with no grasp (or very scarce understanding) of patent law are taking over the entire state of EPOnia; it is a recipe for disaster as it facilitates coups by "special interests" (or moneyed interests), detached entirely from scientific objectives

MR. "efficiencies" António Campinos acts as if the EPO is basically a bank. Like bankers who disregard science, laws, their native populations and so forth. The video above reminds examiners that the patent examination process should be a lot like peer review, not a business-minded escapade. The EPO's management is recklessly breaking the law, capitalising on diplomatic immunity as if it's a licence to invade courts, introduce illegal measures, and drain the life out of the whole system for personal gain. Thankfully many examiners are fighting back. They didn't join the Office to conduct clerical tasks for Campinos and his chums. They're researchers, not machines operators.



Nice one, AntónioThe Central Staff Committee (CSC) has taken note of the fact that the Office isn't even listening to staff anymore. It's basically a dictatorship (you know whose!) and it's designed to pass wealth from ordinary Europeans to plutocrats and corporations that are typically not European. Pillage and plunder (P&P) disguised as "Patents" and "Protection"[ism]...

"A GCC meeting took place on 16 February," the CSC wrote. "Two documents were submitted for information, i.e. the President did not expect our opinion on them. However, in order to do our job, we consider that we have to give our opinion on both documents, which we sent to him and which you can read..."

The General Consultative Committee (GCC) was explained here in past years and introduced in the video above.

Now on to the documents from the CSC. They've sent to staff this one page summary along with this more detailed document [PDF], an opinion with annex. Or "Target Operating Model for DG1 Organisational Steps & Other Organisational Changes (including H&S)," to use their own words.

Here's the much shorter document of the pair, as shown in the video above:



Opinion of the CSC members of the GCC on GCC/DOC 01/2022

Salary Savings Plan: Launch of two new target funds and update of Circular 317



Introduction

The list of funds in the life-cycle strategy needs to be updated at regular time intervals (e.g. on a five-year basis). The list is an integral part of Circular 317, The change in 2022 consists in the addition of two further funds in the life-cycle strategy.

On consultation

One duty of the Supervisory Committee for the Salary Savings Plan is to supervise investment management and administration for the salary savings plan. It shall also advise the President of the Office and may issue recommendations1. As a result, documents relating to the investment strategy available to the Salary Savings Plan members must be submitted to the Supervisory Committee. This has not taken place.

In addition, the document is presented to the GCC for information only. It relates to an amendment to Circular 317, which is an integral part (Part 1b) of the Service Regulations. Previous document (GCC/DOC 29/2019 REV1) was tabled to the GCC for consultation.

Therefore, the consultation process is flawed in two respects.

On the substance

The CSC members of the GCC gave a unanimous positive opinion on Circular 317 in its previous version of 2 June 2020. The change in 2022 consists in the mere addition of two further funds in the life-cycle strategy.

The CSC members of the GCC give a positive opinion on this amendment.

____ 1 See Article 4 ServRegs - Impl. R. Supervisory Committee


As noted this morning (actually recorded yesterday), there's just about ZERO MEDIA COVERAGE about this situation, a conflict inside Europe's second-largest institution. This so-called "conspiracy of silence" isn't helping Europe or the EU; these things are adding up and they'll just boil over worse than before (the Benoît Battistelli era).

To use an analogy, similarly inside corporations or institutions (e.g. government departments) that don't permit airing of grievances internally there's a build-up of silent dissent, which eventually spills over and gets "out there" like Edward Snowden's NSA leaks. Snowden had studied the stories of prior NSA whistleblowers (at least 3 of them, J. Kirk Wiebe, Thomas Drake, and William Binney) and even tested the water a bit before choosing to meet journalists in Hong Kong. The EPO is well aware of all the scandals; the European Council trying to cover things up along with the Administrative Council simply ensures that the blowback will discredit a lot more than the EPO, causing a crisis not just for the Office but the whole of the EU and pertinent national governments, including ours.

Given the lack of participation by the media, which actively keeps this crisis under the wraps, we'd like to urge readers to contact local publishers. Here's a list of them for Europe:

.ad     RTVA    https://rtva.ad/
.al     RTSH    https://rtsh.al/
.at     ORF     https://der.orf.at/
.ba     BHRT    https://bhrt.ba/
.be     RTBR    https://rtbf.be/
.be     VRT     https://vrt.be/
.bg     BNR     https://www.bnr.bg/
.bg     BNT     https:/bnt.bg/
.ch     SRGSSR  https://www.srgssr.ch/
.cy     PIK     https://cybc.com.cy/
.cz     ÄŒeská televize  http://www.ceskatelevize.cz
.cz     Český rozhlas   http://www.rozhlas.cz/
.de     BR      http://br.de/
.de     Deutschlandradio        https://www.deutschlandradio.de/
.de     DW      https://dw.com/
.de     HR      https://hr.de/
.de     MDR     https://mdr.de/
.de     NDR     http://www.ndr.de/
.de     Radiobremen     https://www.radiobremen.de/
.de     RBB     https://www.rbb-online.de/
.de     SR      https://sr.de/
.de     SWR     https://swr.de/
.de     WDR     https://wdr.de/
.de     ZDF     https://zdf.de/
.dk     DR      https://dr.dk/
.dk     TV2     https://tv2.dk/
.ee     ERR     https://www.err.ee/
.es     RTVE    https://rtve.es/
.fi     YLE     https://yle.fi/
.fo     KvF     https://kvf.fo/
.fr     France Médias Monde     http://www.francemediasmonde.com/
.fr     France Télévisions      http://www.france.tv/
.fr     Radio France    https://radiofrance.fr/
.ge     GPB     https://gpb.ge/
.gl     KNR     https://www.knr.gl/
.gr     EPT     https://int.ert.gr/
.gr     EPT     https://webradio.ert.gr/
.gr     EPT     https://www.ert.gr/
.hr     HRT     https://hrt.hr/
.hu     Duna Médiaszolgáltató   https://dunamsz.hu/
.hu     MTVA    https://mtva.hu/
.ie     RTÉ     https://rte.ie/
.ie     TG4     https://tg4.ie/
.it     RAI     https://rai.it/
.lt     LRT     https://lrt.lt/
.lu     Radio 100,7     https://100komma7.lu/
.lu     RTL     https://www.rtlgroup.com/
.lv     LR      https://www.latvijasradio.lsm.lv/
.lv     LSM     https://lsm.lv/
.lv     LTV     https://ltv.lsm.lv/lv/
.mc     MMD     https://www.mmd.mc/en/
.md     TRM     https://trm.md/
.me     RTCG    https://rtcg.me/
.mk     MPT     https://play.mrt.com.mk/
.mt     PBS     https://www.pbs.com.mt/
.nl     AVROTROS        https://www.avrotros.nl/
.nl     BNNVARA https://bnnvara.nl/
.nl     EO      https://www.eo.nl/
.nl     HUMAN   https://human.nl/
.nl     KRO-NCRV        http://kro-ncrv.nl/
.nl     MAX     https://www.omroepmax.nl/
.nl     NOS     https://nos.nl/
.nl     NPO     https://www.npo.nl/
.nl     NTR     https://ntr.nl/
.nl     PowNed  https://www.powned.tv/
.nl     STER    https://www.ster.nl/
.nl     VPRO    https://vpro.nl/
.nl     WNL     https://www.omroepwnl.nl/
.no     NRK     https://nrk.no/
.pl     SpóÅ‚ka Akcyjna  http://prsa.com.pl/
.pl     TVP     https://tvp.pl/
.pt     RTP     https://rtp.pt/
.ro     SRR     https://srr.ro/
.ro     TVR     https://tvr.ro/
.rs     RTS     https://rts.rs/
.se     SR      http://www.sr.se/
.se     SVT     https://www.svt.se/
.se     UR      https://www.ur.se/
.si     RTV     https://rtvslo.si/
.si     RÚV     https://www.ruv.is/
.sk     RTVS    https://rtvs.sk/
.sm     RTV     https://sanmarinortv.sm/
.ua     Suspilne        https://corp.suspilne.media/
.va     Statio Radiophonica Vaticana    https://www.vaticannews.va/


"The list of national broadcasters can be of use to EPO staff in reaching out about the upcoming strike," an associate told me this morning. "Given that the EPO is the second largest international organisation in Europe, the news is relevant to the member states. However, they would have to be contacted by native speakers and, preferably, residents or nationals."

Recent Techrights' Posts

Firefox in Trouble in the US, Down to Lowest Level in 20+ Years
more sites will stop or intentionally neglect Firefox support
Clownflare: More Than 1 in 5 Laptops or Desktops in El Salvador Run GNU/Linux or ChromeOS
Clownflare Radar reckons it's more like 20%+ now
 
Clownflare Reckons GNU/Linux is on Almost 1 in 10 Laptops/Desktops in Western Europe
Western Europe and China are leaving more of GAFAM behind them
Looking Ahead at September
Rianne and I look forward to a productive September
Links 20/08/2026: Facebook "Ran Ads for an App That Promised to Nudify Female Politicians" and Facebook Faces "Social [Control] Media Addiction Trial"
Links for the day
Clownflare Sees GNU/Linux at 16% Market Share on Desktops/Laptops in Tajikistan
in Tajikistan it seems like adoption of GNU/Linux is exceptionally high, based on a very large data set associated with Web access
The Demise of Social Control Media Continues
Entering (anew) social control media in 2026 seems foolish
SLAPP Censorship - Part 155 Out of 200: Throwing Stones in Houses Made of Glass
character-assassination-as-a-service
Gemini Links 20/08/2026: Planners, Pantsing, Vinylyssee
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Wednesday, August 19, 2026
IRC logs for Wednesday, August 19, 2026
Gemini Links 19/08/2026: "Big Boost in Autonomy" and "Answer of E-Mail"
Links for the day
SLAPP Censorship - Part 154 Out of 200: Computer-Generated Legal Filings From Men Who Are Salaried by Mass Plagiarism Companies in Another Continent (America)
This isn't the behaviour of a moral person but of some sort of "crypto bro" or "slop bro"
Fired by IBM for Medical Leave, Rampant Censorship of IBM Critics Explained
We've already caught and showed many cases where thelayoff.com deleted comments that were not even remotely racist
Links 19/08/2026: First Amendment Under Fire by White House of Cards, "Universities Were Forced to Pay Up" for Not Censoring
Links for the day
Gemini Links 19/08/2026: What Friendship Means, Sm0lNet/SmolNet, and New Feeds
Links for the day
Omarchy is Already Dying
Same as the life cycle of slopfarms
No, WSL (Windows With Fake 'Linux') Isn't Growing Faster Than Ubuntu, This Was Disinformation Spread by a Microsoft Propaganda Site, Then Spread by Slopfarms
Be sceptical; Microsoft is truly desperate for anti-Linux spin right now, seeing that Windows is in a freefall
Microsoft's Mass Layoffs Impact the Ability to Run Microsoft
Can Microsoft still run Microsoft?
Microsoft's Active Directory ("AD") and "Entra" Are National Security Threats
Even the US government concluded Microsoft could not be trusted for security; it issued a formal report about it in April 2024
Instant Impact: GNU/Linux Skyrockets to 10% in China Days After Policy Changes
Let's see what the 'aftermath' looks like by year's end
Links 19/08/2026: Timothy James King (AmigaDOS) Dies, GitHub Goes Offline, Finland Wants to Shun Social Control Media
Links for the day
Slop's Achilles Heel: It Increases the Workload, Not Just Costs
Set aside its inability to scale well
Improving techrights.org
Technical debt (like 17 years with WordPress) is something that's better to address early, not later
Mass Layoffs at Dropbox, Blame the Debt, Not Slop Hype
The debt of Dropbox Inc., which isn't an imaginary (estimated) thing, is over 4 billion dollars
Microsoft is 'Angel of Death' to Developers (Even Its Own), 'Voluntary' Layoffs Happening Again
From what we are hearing and reading, there are 'voluntary' layoffs again
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, August 18, 2026
IRC logs for Tuesday, August 18, 2026
Gemini Links 19/08/2026: Shirts, Handwriting, and Fights in Geminispace
Links for the day
Laos Leaving GAFAM Behind, Gradually
Yesterday evening it was measured at 10% for GNU/Linux at one point
They Were Wrong All Along
Two women combined won't deliver a healthy baby in just 4.5 months
A "Tech Journalist" Would Not Cover Vote on LLMs as a Sex Issue
For a moment there you have to pause and wonder, is this a "Tech Journalist" or the Daily Stormer?
20,000 by Year's End
The "New Techrights" will have 20,000 pages by year's end
Last Night GNU/Linux Measured at 9% in Africa
Nighttimes in Africa are times when GNU/Linux usage on desktop/laptop devices typically surges, based on Clownflare [...] It changes in favour of GNU/Linux
Gemini Links 18/08/2026: Google Bait and Switch (Getting College People 'Hooked' on 'Cheap' Storage, Then Backups Gone), a "Question of E-mail"
Links for the day
Bluesky is in Trouble
Bluesky is a private company (unlike Bluesky Digital Assets Corp. in Toronto, that one runs a pyramid scheme!), so it's hard to know for sure just how much money it is losing
China Says Goodbye to Microsoft
It is hardly surprising that Windows is shedding off userbase all around the world
Links 18/08/2026: US Abandons South Korea, New Legal Disputes Over Slop Plagiarism in the Music Scene
Links for the day
Linux Losing Interest in Users' Freedom, Pursues DRM Instead
"Linux" is (or was, as GNU/Linux) meant to empower - not artificially restrict - the users
GNU/Linux in Ecuador and Colombia: Growing, Still Below International Average
locals turn away from Windows and try GNU/Linux instead
IBM is Dead or Dying. Now It Asks Workers to 'Resign' Voluntarily.
To save face, to pretend no layoffs are happening (as it might alarm shareholders) [...] We keep hearing more and more stories like that
Links 18/08/2026: Sergey Brin Controlling State Policies, "Dario Amodei's (Anthropic) Wife Is Closely Linked to Jeffrey Epstein"
Links for the day
SBS News Interviews Daniel Pocock
The locals say this PR stunt (by the bigot, Farage) was a waste of money
Clownflare Sees One in 7 Web Requests in Libya Originating From GNU/Linux
GNU/Linux has taken a (foot)hold there
Openwashing and Manifestos Composed in Private by Dictators With Deliberately Addictive (and Subsidised, Bundled) 'Tech'
It's long, so make a cuppa first
SLAPP Censorship - Part 153 Out of 200: Decades of Debt, Weaponising Borrowed Money to Try to Put Their Critics in Debt
they've always had a financial report by now
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, August 17, 2026
IRC logs for Monday, August 17, 2026
Gemini Links 18/08/2026: Solar Power, Kipple and Impermanence, Catastrophe Ethics
Links for the day