12.03.16
Gemini version available ♊︎Dutch Media Covers Latest EPO Scandals, German Media Totally Absent (a Media Blackout of Convenience)
Remember that the EPO under Battistelli spends over a million Euros per year just manipulating the media
“[Microsoft's] Gates is trying to make sure that he has a proprietary position in controlling the tools that allow you and me to access information. And that’s profitable by definition. How would you like to own the printing press?”
–PaineWebber Media Analyst Christopher Dixon
Summary: Our observations regarding the apparent media disinterest in EPO scandals, especially at the very core of the EPO (principal host country)
LAST year, this year [1, 2, 3], and to some lesser degree even 2+ years ago we explained why German media barely covers EPO scandals (which happen right next door), being connected to beneficiaries of this whole arrangement in Munich and Berlin. Last week we also noted that the media in tiny Luxembourg wrote more articles about EPO scandals (in German!) than the German media itself. This is not acceptable. It’s almost as though it has got to be intentional. There is no lack of interest among the public, maybe cautiousness among media owners. Based on threats we received from the EPO (with wrong name in one of the letters), the EPO bullies other publications critical of the EPO (German-sounding names in the recipient’s template). We have more evidence that serves to reinforce a SLAPP culture under Battistelli, whose Vice-President has a history (proven track record) doing this for years in Croatia. Baseless legal threats induce self-censorship. Don’t forget that the contract with FTI Consulting targets Germany in particular. “Battistell & Clique must be stopped,” one reader told us, “and brought before court (like Volkswagen and other gangsters. Mafia).”
The EPO was covered quite widely in Dutch media this past week, and it’s not good news for Battistelli. But where was any of the German media?
Here is one new article from NRC. To quote the Dutch text: “De bedrijfscultuur bij het Europees Octrooi Bureau (EPO), gevestigd in Rijswijk, is nauwelijks verbeterd. Dat blijkt uit een brief van staatssecretaris Martijn van Dam (Economische Zaken, PvdA) aan de Tweede kamer. „Er is sprake van een wij-zij cultuur, gebrek aan wederzijds vertrouwen tussen management en personeel en een gebrek aan gedeelde waarden”, schrijft Van Dam. De kritiek van vakbond SUEPO, die de helft van het personeel vertegenwoordigt, is dat de Franse EPO-president Benoît Battistelli een autoritair bewind voert. In strijd met een resolutie van de raad van bestuur is in Rijswijk onlangs opnieuw een vakbondsbestuurder ontslagen, bevestigt Van Dam. De Hoge Raad besluit in januari of het EPO als internationale organisatie „immuun” is voor het Nederlandse arbeidsrecht.”
“Same story as this but shorter,” Petra Kramer told us about it. “Van Dam wrote a letter about EPO to the House.” We have already published Kramer's translation of the longer story.
Another large news site in Dutch covered these events a few days ago. To quote: “De hervormingen bij het Europees Octrooibureau (EOB) moeten worden voortgezet. Er zijn goede vorderingen gemaakt, maar er is nog te veel niet goed geregeld bij de instelling.”
And here is yet another new article in Dutch. We welcome translations.
Even some IP Kat comments mention the Dutch, e.g.:
It is tale telling that Ms Esther Ouwehand from the Dutch Animal Party has to take up the cause of the endangered species – the officials of the EPO. They are beyond hope, like the elephants
“The EPO was found guilty of infringing Human Rights by a second instance Dutch court,” a provocateur is being told in another comment:
@Zbrox:
The EPO was found guilty of infringing Human Rights by a second instance Dutch court. The case is now pending at the highest court.
You mention money, working conditions, etc. Do you really believe this entitles the EPO to infringe on Human Rights?
@Dissenting Opinion:
You somehow missed the point that moving the Boards is pointless.
Increased appeal fees will render the European Route very unattractive and pave the way for abuse from the part of the EPO/the examiners. The future of the UPC is uncertain, and certain EP member states are not and will probably never be members of the UPC (e.g. Switzerland, Turkey).
Please, cool down your emotions and consider carefully what you intend to post.
Regarding the UPC, we have a lot more to say about it. A petition against it may be on its way very soon.
The following new comment mentions the “Dutch Press”:
An AC storm is brewing! …
It is becoming more apparent to the outsider that we see in the EPO a more systematic use of staff rep dismissals instead of an isolated incident or coincidence as stated by the VP1 earlier in the year and in the Dutch Press. This is a clear indication for a toxic management style at work and EXTREMELY WORRYING!. Additionally the working methods of the Investigation Unit and the need for excessive security measures has been unprecedented and its financing for 2016 unexplained.
Where’s the German media? Pretending nothing happens? Even though the latest ‘action’ is centered at The Hague, certainly it’s of relevance to Germany. Heck, even the British press covers it (more and more regularly).
Frustration among Germans about this media blackout sometimes relates to or gets compared to “political correctness” censorship (on racial/religious themes) in the German media, but this one is purely financial, not fear of offence.
“I kindly ask you now to contact the GERMAN leading magazine DER SPIEGEL,” one reader told us. It’s pretty amazing that these large publications rarely if ever mention the EPO, especially amid all this turmoil. “DER SPIEGEL has not yet covered this story of fraud, abuse of power, arrogance of power, arrogance and abuse of diplomatic immunity,” our reader added. “I want however to bring this specific management policies to the SPIEGEL, and to the courts: They (The EPO) are operating in a (in my view, illegal but apparently casted-into-imperfect-contracts) vacuum, and current world issues (refugees crisis, Turkey crisis, #Trumpgate, #dieselgate ….) are playing in favour of Battistelli & clique……….”
Why no coverage about the EPO?
We therefore ask readers, especially German-speaking readers, to contact their press, including Der Spiegel. Get them interested in the story. Coverage of this is long overdue. There are no valid excuses.
“The most suited lawyer would be WOLFGANG KALECK (Berlin),” our reader told us, “by incident, his office is very close to the Berlin Suboffice of the EPO!!! KALECK is also Snowden’s lawyer in Germany, in the CITIZENFOUR movie a short sequence is shot with Ben Wizner (ACLU attorney) in his office close to the EPO suboffice in Berlin…”
Here is how to securely contact Der Spiegel (“USE ENCRYPTION,” our reader stressed, “PGP key via this page“).
E-mail is investigativ@spiegel.de.
We have already contacted Der Spiegel (in English), but have received no reply. Perhaps if more people do the same (pressuring editors) they’ll actually start caring and maybe even ending this appalling media blackout.
Suffice to say, Battistelli’s unprecedented campaign of manipulating and muzzling the media is itself a massive scandal. The BBC was going to cover it but eventually spiked the story, perhaps proving the very point it was going to write about. █
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