Bonum Certa Men Certa

The EPO Bubble — Part XII — The Shape of Things to Come?

Overview: [Teaser] The EPO's Deflating Patent Bubble and Pursuit of Illegal Software Patents (With Kangaroo Courts, UPC, and Bullied Examiners)

Series parts:

  1. "unprecedented surge"
  2. a gradually-deflating "grant bubble"
  3. a demonstrable "vested interest"
  4. The EPO Bubble — Part IV — A Cashflow Problem Looming on the Horizon?
  5. The EPO Bubble — Part V — Propping Up the Bubble?


  6. The EPO Bubble — Part VI — From Humble Examiner to CO€³
  7. The EPO Bubble — Part VII — A Multifaceted Man of Letters
  8. The EPO Bubble — Part VIII — The “Algerian Skirmisher” Replaces the “British Grenadier”
  9. The EPO Bubble — Part IX — A Well-Remunerated Faustian Pact?
  10. charge of G06Q
  11. faithful lieutenant
  12. YOU ARE HERE ☞ The Shape of Things to Come?


EPO North Korean satire
Will the EPO’s new COO Operations and his faithful lieutenant in charge of G06Q succeed in their quest to prop up the deflating "grant bubble" by turbo-charging grant rates in the ICT sector?



Summary: The crooks who have taken/cemented control of Europe's largest patent office (and Europe's second-largest institution) have placed managers without any background in computing in charge of software patenting, based solely on intent to violate the European Patent Convention (EPC) and fake 'growth' with bogus patents that harm Europe

In the introductory parts of this series it was explained how the powers-that-be who control the EPOnian "deep state" have a demonstrable "vested interest" in maintaining a high level of grants. This insight helps to explain their eagerness to prop up a gradually-deflating "grant bubble".



"...it seems that Team Campinos is being forced to explore alternative strategies to achieve the desired "results" in this regard."However, there are limits to the ability of EPO management to squeeze more "products" out of an already "sweated" workforce. For this reason it seems that Team Campinos is being forced to explore alternative strategies to achieve the desired "results" in this regard.

Certain personnel changes, notably connected with the EPO’s most recent "re-organisation" in April of this year, suggest that plans are being forged at a managerial level to push for a "harmonisation" of grant rates across different technical fields.

"Certain personnel changes, notably connected with the EPO’s most recent "re-organisation" in April of this year, suggest that plans are being forged at a managerial level to push for a "harmonisation" of grant rates across different technical fields."The underlying aim here is to strive for "upward harmonisation" in areas which historically have low grant rates. Such areas have been targeted for attention because they are perceived by EPO management as "under-performing" - that is to say, "below average" when it comes to generating national renewal fee cash-flow via granted patents.

The ICT sector is rumoured to be one of the main targets of managerial attention in this regard.

As we have seen, the "reorganisation" of April 2022 has led to a consolidation of power in the patent examination and granting area of DG1. All technical sectors have now been subsumed under the unified command of a single Chief Operating Officer.

According to insiders, this "streamlining" of the managerial command structure foreshadows a concerted "top-down" campaign for increased grant rates, under the guise of addressing "harmonisation and quality" issues.

The EPOnian Razik Menidjel
According to insiders, the recent "streamlining" of the managerial command structure inside DG1 foreshadows a concerted "top-down" campaign for increased grant rates.



It’s still too early to say for sure what "new melodies" the freshly-appointed COO Operations (CO3) is going to conjure up to entertain his "captive audience" of examiners at the EPO.

"Amongst other things, the leaked e-mail confirms that new director in charge of G06Q, Georg Weber, has been put in place by the CO3 "with his full mandate and support to address harmonisation and quality" in that area."However, a leaked e-mail discussed in an earlier part suggests that the show is about to kick off with drastic changes in the area of computer-implemented "business and administrative methods" (CPC class G06Q).

Amongst other things, the leaked e-mail confirms that new director in charge of G06Q, Georg Weber, has been put in place by the CO3 "with his full mandate and support to address harmonisation and quality" in that area.

From the aforementioned e-mail it is clear that examiners in the G06Q area are being gently "nudged" in the direction of less refusals and more grants.

Georg Weber caricature
According to available information, examiners in the G06Q area are being gently "nudged" in the direction of less refusals and more grants.



Of course, it goes without saying that if such "nudging" fails to produce the desired results then more drastic France-Télécom-style measures might have to be adopted in due course…

"...it is reported that examiners in the ICT sector are nervously awaiting a turbulent wave of "egg-breaking" which is forecast to be be looming on the horizon."According to EPO insiders, the new CO3, Razik Menidjel, is fond of regaling the directors under his command with tales of how he served his managerial apprenticeship under the guiding influence of his hero and role-model "Benoît" [Battistelli].

His proudest boast is reported to be that, during this time, he learned "how to break eggs".

Breaking eggs
Razik Menidjel, is reported to be fond of boasting about how he learned to "break eggs" while serving his managerial apprenticeship under the despotic EPO boss Benoît Battistelli.



It’s still not entirely clear what kind of omelette Razik is intent on serving up to his underlings over the coming months. But it is reported that examiners in the ICT sector are nervously awaiting a turbulent wave of "egg-breaking" which is forecast to be be looming on the horizon.

What is most striking here is that neither the new CO3 nor the director whom he has placed in charge of G06Q would appear to have any background in the area of "information and communications technology".

"What is most striking here is that neither the new CO3 nor the director whom he has placed in charge of G06Q would appear to have any background in the area of "information and communications technology"."In particular, neither of them have any discernible technical experience in matters relating to computer programming and software. The CO3 (Razik Menidjel) has a doctorate from the chemistry faculty of the University of Göttingen and the director (Georg Weber) is a graduate of the Vienna University of Agriculture.

Nevertheless - at least in the eyes of the powers-that-be who control the EPOnian "deep state" - this evident lack of relevant technical expertise does not constitute an obstacle to the intrepid duo’s ambitious managerial plans to shake up examination and granting practices in G06Q.

Will António Campinos soon be channelling his mentor Benoît Battistelli and boasting about an "unprecedented surge" in the number of grants in the ICT sector?

campinos-software-patents
Will Campinos soon be channelling Battistelli and boasting about an "unprecedented surge" in the number of grants in the ICT sector?



For the moment, this remains a matter of speculation. There can be no "early certainty" about whether the plans of the EPO’s senior management to prop up the deflating "grant bubble" will succeed.

"In particular, neither of them have any discernible technical experience in matters relating to computer programming and software."In the meantime, anybody with an interest in the controversial topic of so-called "software patents" would be well advised to keep a watchful eye on the evolution of grant rates in the G06Q area.

Recent Techrights' Posts

European Authorities, Already Bribed and Infiltrated by Microsoft, Won't Help You Find BigBlueButton, Jami, Ring, and Jitsi
Because they're paid by Microsoft and are Microsoft 'addicts' themselves
Moving From Content Management Systems (CMSs) to Static Site Generators (SSGs) Saves You Time, Makes You a Lot More Productive
try to reduce the cost (financial and computational) of running your site
Leak: European Patent Office (EPO) is Now Attacking Amicale Clubs
corruption has become the norm and scientists are robbed of any dignity
Oracle Fraud (or Defrauding Shareholders)
"the obvious [lie] is that watts are (wasted) electricity [and] and FLOPS are computing capacity"
Explaining (in Length and Depth) the Damage Matthew Garrett Did to Linux and to GNU/Linux Users
no matter how many threats we receive
 
The Register MS Still Takes Money to Hype Up "AI" in Articles by Microsoft Resellers With the Term "AI" 30+ Times in Them
Notice how many times they mention "AI"
The Apache Logo News is VERY Old, Racists and 'Anti-Woke' Bigots Look for Something to Incite Other Bigots With
Nothing to see here, move along
Linux Mint 9/11: "4th One Today..." (in Reddit)
Remember that not everyone having an issue reports it to social control media like Reddit
Nepal Will Fall Without a Single Shot Fired, Thanks to Social Control Media
Or very few shots (by the authorities)
European Corruption in the European Patent Office (EPO) Targets Culture
"In reality, the project includes a new “legal instrument” shifting administrative burden and liability on EPO staff while creating new uncertainty and externalising Amicale activities."
UEFI Secure Boot Failing, as Expected for Nearly 15 Years Already (Techrights Said This Since 2012)
in the media
Debian 9/11
people report this issue
Gemini and Web Links 13/09/2025: MElon's Slop Grift and "Autonomous Trains"
Links for the day
Pursuing Peace Through Violence
You cannot "see" a person's mind, until the mouth opens
Can We Please Stop Celebrating Shooters?
"An important point to hammer on is that CoCs were never intended for uniform or symmetric application"
Geminispace is Growing Faster in 2025 Than It Did in 2024
What matters is that corporations haven't ruined it and LLM slop is extremely rare
Links 13/09/2025: China Punishes for 'Negative' Posts, US Police Unable to Find Shooter
Links for the day
Who's the Mystery Financier of SLAPP Against Techrights and Is That a Millionaire/Billionaire?
Whose idea was it to fund meritless lawsuits against my wife and I?
Slopwatch: Slow Slop Day
This distracts from or may take traffic away from the original articles, actually written by actual people
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Friday, September 12, 2025
IRC logs for Friday, September 12, 2025
CoC Gone Wrong: Celebrating Murder OK, Complaining About the Celebration Gets You Banned
Hopefully the NixOS Foundation will have a word with (maybe replace) the moderator/s
Gemini Links 12/09/2025: Familiarity and Secondary Dominants
Links for the day
Links 12/09/2025: "Bad Reviews" as Extortion Weapon, "Free Speech At Risk in America’s Schools" According to ACLU
Links for the day
Only One Speaker Does Not Do Sharecropping for MElon (in X.com)
The man who puts principles before PR/optics
The Mind of the 'Hulk Hogan of UEFI'
in a nutshell
A Day After "UEFI 9/11": UEFI Secure Boot Bypass
In the news today (right now), as published in the past few hours
Links 12/09/2025: Slop Code as Liability, Microsoft Outlook Down for Many
Links for the day
It's Still Not to Late to Turn Off "Secure Boot"
If people reboot their PC or server today, and it relies on "Secure Boot" on Sept. 12 or later, then depending on the firmware there may be trouble ahead
Links 12/09/2025: Shira Perlmutter is Back, “Software Per Se” Patent Rejections in In re McFadden
Links for the day
Slopwatch: Linux Plagiarism, Slopfarms Still Infesting Google News, Many Images Are Fake
Google is promoting plagiarism
"This Morning Might Turn Out to be an Interesting One for System Admins Who Haven't Updated Their Devices' Secure Boot Certificate" (If They Reboot)
Who asked for this anyway?
Gemini Links 12/09/2025: Metric System, Dumping Windows, and Software Architecture is Dead
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Thursday, September 11, 2025
IRC logs for Thursday, September 11, 2025
Microsoft Admits the Workers Have Lost Trust (Endless Layoffs, 12-13 Rounds of Layoffs This Year), So Now It's Trotting out Its Peter Bright-Like Media Prop Jordan Novet
What they don't want people to pay attention to right now
Links 11/09/2025: Windows TCO and Russian Drones Invading Poland (EU/NATO)
Links for the day
Gemini Links 11/09/2025: xkcd, misfin, and Alhena 5.3.2
Links for the day
Repetition of Last Summer (Microsoft Breaking Dual-Boot Systems)
UEFI 9/11 is about to kick in
UEFI 'Secure Boot' Boiling Frogs (Cannot Turn Off 'Secure Boot')
"MSI laptop is locked on Secure Boot and doesn't allow me to turn it off"
UEFI 9/11 Aftermath - Part IV: The 'Hulk Hogan of UEFI' and His 'Hideout' Holiday (Retreat From Reality)
Let's keep an eye on what matters
UEFI 9/11 Aftermath - Part III: Mr. 'Secure Boot' (Shim) and His Fake 'Holiday' (Sending My Wife and I Threatening E-mails on 9/11)
despite being on holiday, according to him, he finds time to instruct lawyers to contact my wife
UEFI 9/11 Aftermath - Part II: "The SecureBoot Thing Got Out of Hand."
The next few weeks might be... interesting
UEFI 9/11 Aftermath - Part I: "I Believe This Affects Thousands of Devices... Because Multiple Devices I Checked, Whether Client or Server [...] Affected."
Most people aren't even aware that this is happening or about to happen
The UEFI 9/11 - Part X - An Outline of the Series About Microsoft Sabotaging GNU/Linux (With Ramifications to Unfold Online in Coming Weeks as People Reboot)
Today is UEFI 9/11 (9/11/2025)
Ron Wyden: Microsoft Should be Held Accountable for Security Breaches (He Has Said This for Years Already, It Never Happens)
Negative media coverage isn't a fine and it does nothing to compensate Microsoft's billions of victims
Culture of silence: Ubisoft harassment convictions, Mozilla, Sylvestre Ledru & Debian make no comment
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Disable 'Secure Boot' (If It Lets You)
it doesn't put you in control
Links 11/09/2025: "Hey Hi" Ponzi Schemes at Oracle (Unpaid Contracts) and Cindy Cohn is Leaving the EFF
Links for the day
Longtime Red Hat Staff: Maybe Just Disable 'Secure Boot'
A refreshing take from Adam Williamson
Gemini Links 11/09/2025: Playdate Console, Dichotomy between the Real and the Digital
Links for the day
A Dozen Observations About "UEFI 9/11" Deflections
What we are expected to see, tentatively
The Microsoft AstroTurfing and Microsoft-Led Blame-Shifting Tactics Are Ahead of Us
Of course it has nothing to do with security, it's about control, i.e. them controlling everything
Celebrating Assassination is Bad Because It Legitimises Assassination of the People You Like, Too
Condoning or even celebrating political assassinations is bad optics (and taste)
The World's Richest Ponzi Scheme (Faking Value Using Net Waste)
The higher they go the harder they fall
We Could Dual-Boot Back in the 1990s, Why Has This Become So Difficult?
And prone to breakage
Being Conditioned to Accept Unreliable Computer Systems That Fail With Black Screen of Death (BSoD)
Welcome to 2025
Slopwatch: Google News is Still Promoting Many Fake Articles About "Linux", in Effect Rewarding Misinformation and Plagiarism
things continue to deteriorate
New Series: The Coup Against GNU/Linux Has Begun
today, this year in particular, we shall also focus on Secure Boot, which is sold based on a lie and tortures many computer user
New Paper on "BYOVD, but in firmware. Signed UEFI shells, vulnerable modules offer new paths for Secure Boot bypasses."
One might say digital "security theatre"
Links 11/09/2025: Oracle Layoffs, Drunk Pilots in Japan Airlines, US-Korea Tensions Grow
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Wednesday, September 10, 2025
IRC logs for Wednesday, September 10, 2025