Bonum Certa Men Certa

The EPO is Out of Control on (Patent) Scope and Team UPC Floods the Media in a Desperate Last Attempt

Throwing everything that's left (time and money) at the problem in order to throw democracy away and thwart the law

Bristows



Summary: The lack of respect for the law, for democracy and for patent scope (quality control) at the European Patent Office has become incredibly difficult to ignore

SOFTWARE patents promotion at the EPO has gotten so bad that it was done twice in one single day. Their official and verified account said "This e-course teaches you all about the patentability of computer-implemented inventions at the EPO" and also said "We will be discussing practice & jurisprudence in software-related patents in Europe & India at this event" (as a reminder, software patents are verboten both in India and in Europe).



"The EPC and the European Parliament are against this, but evidently, under Battistelli in particular, patent scope is out of control and this kind of overt lobbying has become routine."This was done again for the third time within 24 hours. The EPO openly promotes loopholes for patenting software. The nerve...

It's a repeat of the above: "This e-course teaches you all about the patentability of computer-implemented inventions at the EPO..." (link to the EPO's Web site).

Why does this matter? The EPC and the European Parliament are against this, but evidently, under Battistelli in particular, patent scope is out of control and this kind of overt lobbying has become routine. It's almost becoming a banality. We wrote about this several times last month. The “EPO’s knowledge & expertise” is leaving in droves nowadays (we have reported massive, unprecedented brain drain over the years), yet here again the EPO brags about its "knowledge & expertise". Who are they trying to kid? Preaching to the converted?

One main problem is, if UPC schemers got their way, a lot of the above would have become easier. Software patenting will be brought to Europe by the UPC, but only if Battistelli gets his way... it would not just be a disaster to software developers but to every single user of software. The consequences would be horrific and devastating. The US, where software patents are ubiquitously used by patents trolls, is a cautionary tale.

"Software patenting will be brought to Europe by the UPC, but only if Battistelli gets his way..."We hope that EPO staff understands why we have opposed the UPC (and its predecessors) all these years. Not much has changed except the name (now it's "unitary" and "unified" rather than "EU" or "community"). Rebranding never changed the substance and politicians including Battistelli lied about it all along.

Here is a new article from a lawyers' site. It's titled "What Does Brexit Mean for the Planned Unitary Patent System in Europe?"

Here is what it says (behind a paywall unfortunately, so only the patent microcosm -- those paying for subscription -- would be able to read and/or scrutinise it):

The Unitary Patent System and Unified Patent Court had been predicted to come into force in 2017, and it promised to be the biggest change in European patent practice in almost 40 years. Has Brexit killed the whole thing?


In a nutshell, yes! UPC is going nowhere. Does that mean that British members of Team UPC will give up? Of course not. The Corbyn-led Labour party would have no interest in the UPC (see its position on TPP) and should bury the UPC, but watch how Bristows LLP spins that. Another example of selective quoting and misinterpretation or misrepresentations, quoting other members of Team UPC as 'proof' of widespread support for upcoming changes? Also see this new one from Bristows LLP (aka Bristows UPC, for marketing purposes). This firm has just published not one but two UPC propaganda pieces. Shame on Bristows for attacking both British and EU democracy. What does that say about Bristows?

Another LLP, this time Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, joined in this non-stop UPC propaganda (obviously from patent law firms that stand to gain from the UPC).

"The UPC would be bad for SMEs all across Europe, not just in Britain. Every European citizen should be out in the streets protesting against it, for the same reasons CETA/TPP/TTIP/TISA etc. are widely protested against."They know a deadline is coming up and the UPC would likely die soon, if not officially in the UK then in the whole of Europe (unless it's renamed again and repackaged with replacement/s for London). The UPC would be bad for SMEs all across Europe, not just in Britain. Every European citizen should be out in the streets protesting against it, for the same reasons CETA/TPP/TTIP/TISA etc. are widely protested against.

Milan has been mentioned as a likely replacement for London and watch this new tweet from the EPO: "Patent professionals in Italy are welcome at this event," it says. Notice the interesting choice of venue.

Recent Techrights' Posts

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
Links 15/10/2025: Qantas Airways Loses Control of Sensitive Data and Software Patents Are Being Thrown Out
Links for the day
Vista 10 is 'Dead', Here's Why People Should Move to GNU/Linux (or the BSDs)
Today we try to make an outline of reasons move away from Windows to GNU/Linux
Our Sites Continue to Improve
LLM slop has had no noticeable impact on us
Gemini Links 15/10/2025: Neovim, Helix Compared and Gemlog.blue Now Closed
Links for the day
Links 15/10/2025: Mass Layoffs at Amazon, OneDrive Spyware Revved Up, More 'Gen Z Protests'
Links for the day
The EPO's Staff Engagement Survey 2025 is Already Tainted by Intimidation by EPO Management (Trying to Influence Outcomes by Scaring Genuine, Honest Critics)
"[W]e have received reports that, following the previous survey, teams with negative responses were reproached or questioned about their answers..."
The DDoS Attacks by Microsoft's Scam Altman and Other Slop Charlatans and Frauds is Hurting the FSF, Delinking It From Copyleft Projects
This impacts a lot more than access to the licences
Microsoft Scanning Faces in Photos People Upload to Microsoft (Even Unconsciously), Slashdot Turns Report About It Into "Microsoft Sez" (Says)
Or "let's repeat the lies from a PR person/Microsoft's publicist"
[Teaser] Angel Aledo Lopez the Manipulator (Nepotism, Poll Rigging, and Other EPO Corruption)
We'll discuss this later today or tomorrow, based on internal EPO material
Attacks on Techrights Are Only Making Techrights Bigger and Even More Popular
A week ago they offered to settle with us
Epic Metaphor for End of IBM: "The IBM Demolition is Down to the Last Shards!"
Nothing lasts forever
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, October 14, 2025
IRC logs for Tuesday, October 14, 2025
Proprietary and DRM Prisons Spiralling Down the Sinkhole? Not Just Yet.
Let's hope that more people will flee to GNU/Linux
The European Patent Office (EPO), the Second-Largest Institution in Europe, is Cracking Down on Recreational Activities
Without AMICALE activities, and as staff already says it's pressured to work more for less, how can the EPO recruit bright people?
Transparency: FSFE financial reports exclude speaker fees and expenses
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Many Developers Have Many Political Views, They'll Never Agree on Everything
It's an effort to divide and destroy, not build
Gemini Links 14/10/2025: An Opportunity to Consider GNU/Linux and Another Simple IRC Client
Links for the day
Slopwatch: UbuntuPIT, LinuxSecurity, Google News, and the Serial Slopper Brian Fagioli
Nothing of merit here, just more slop
Links 14/10/2025: Lack of Trust in Slop and "Retirement Challenges"
Links for the day
EPO Staff Can Go Listen to Richard Stallman Next Week in Munich (Technical University of Munich, Rudolf-Diesel Hörsaal (MW2001) on Campus Garching at 18:00)
"The talk is open to the public and attendance is free. Registration is not required."
Rhonda D'Vine, Gerfried Fuchs, Pronouns & Debian pregnancy cluster
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
At IBM, Relocation Means Layoffs (Downsizing)
Silent or 'invisible' layoffs?
Central Staff Committee of the European Patent Office (EPO) Warns That EPO Management is Robbing or Manipulating Pension Funds Again
Faking "growth" is just about as bad as forgery
Probably a Lot Worse Than LLM Slop: GNOME Tying Itself to Divisive Politics, Even Where It's Clearly Not Relevant
Something has gone terribly wrong in GNOME
Links 14/10/2025: Microsoft OneDrive Scanning Faces in Photos (Without Asking First), "OpenAI Says It Will Move to Allow Smut"
Links for the day
They Generally Don't Like Scholars, as They're Less Compelled or Pressured to Repeat What Corporations and Oligarchs Say
People who loathe scholars have an agenda in mind that, unlike that of reasonable people, revolves around controlling people
Dystopian Trends in Technology Make Richard Stallman More Relevant Than Ever
It's good to see him attracting vast audiences
Belated New Article About Last Thursday's Lecture by Richard Stallman in Helsinki, Finland
there are good reasons to pay with cash, not limited to privacy
Attacking Richard Stallman Has Become 'Career Suicide'
If you're going to viciously attack somebody, make sure your arguments are rock-solid
Microsoft's Failing XBox Business Has Turned Games Into Funerals
How does it feel to depend on Microsoft?
Yesterday's "Distinguished Lecture" by Richard Stallman Possibly Attended by Close to 1,000 People
The capacity of the place is about 900
Slop Poisons Everything
Imagine wanting to find what Torvalds has just said or what has just been released
Taking Software Freedom 'Mainstream'
interest in Software Freedom must have grown
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, October 13, 2025
IRC logs for Monday, October 13, 2025
Gemini Links 14/10/2025: Ada Lovelace Day, Sony CLIE PEG-TG50 Review, Why to Avoid Network Solutions
Links for the day
Richard Stallman (RMS) Announced His Talk Less Than 24 Hours Before It Took Place and Still Filled Up the Auditorium at Sapienza Università di Roma
Photos from yesterday evening [...] It looks like it was a very successful event