04.14.17
Gemini version available ♊︎Adding Insult to Suicide: European Commission’s Site Publishes Benoît Battistelli’s EPO Puff Pieces
Helping Battistelli market/lobby for patents on life
Summary: The European Commission’s Web site has resorted to publishing puff pieces of Benoît Battistelli, whose input on the subject at hand comes from ignorance and lies, not any substantial scientific understanding of the associated/underlying issues
THE Office which Battistelli undermines is committing institutional suicide, not just driving workers and former workers to suicide.
Some courageous MEPs, such as Marc Tarabella whom we last mentioned yesterday, are trying to do something about it and that’s really appreciated by those affected. To quote a comment from yesterday:
New question of MEP Marc Tarabella (Belgian) about the situation at EPO
https://suepo.org/marc_tarabella_office_europeen_des_brevets_oeb_et_abus_sociaux/d-44022
Thanks god it exists politicians like Mr Tarabella, Mr Cordery, Mr le Borgn’, Mr Yung, Mr van Nispen, and dozens of others who dare to raise their voice to denounce what needs to be denounced.
But where are the European Commission and Parliament? Why are they so silent/passive/apathetic when such serious abuses and gross violations are committed by Battistelli and his thugs? Why aren’t EU officials doing anything? They, collectively speaking, basically spoil their own reputation and judging by comments we habitually see in The Register, this harms the EU as well (people use this to justify/rationalise Brexit).
Last night we saw this new press release (one among many like it) bragging about truly pathetic patents granted by the EPO. “Intellia Therapeutics Inc.,” it said, “announced that the European Patent Office (EPO) has decided to grant a patent broadly covering the CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology.”
“But where are the European Commission and Parliament? Why are they so silent/passive/apathetic when such serious abuses and gross violations are committed by Battistelli and his thugs?”At the same time we saw this new ‘article’ (more like lending the platform and making a puff piece in the form of an ‘interview’ — a PR classic!). This morning we saw it mirrored verbatim in europa.eu, which seems to have stooped this low on ethical grounds. So the EU publishes puff pieces for Battistelli now? While failing to enforce the law against him, due to supposed immunity? It was posted in the European Commission’s site and its purpose is to help the Liar in Chief justify patents on genome — a subject he clearly does not understand (he is no scientific background at all!).
The ‘article’ by Damon Embling is not really an article but an introduction which goes as follows:
The European Patent Office (EPO) has faced opposition in the past, for instance, over patents relating to processes for re-engineering genes, for use in medical research into cancer treatment. These processes could apply to various animals, including great apes – and that became a magnet for criticism from animal rights campaigners.
The rest is more of less composed by the Liar in Chief (and patently a crook) along with his PR department. This site should know better than to speak to this man, let alone let him print such nonsense. To quote: “Youris.com spoke to Benoit Battistelli, President of the EPO, about the role of patent protection and how it can aid biotechnology innovation and the wider bioeconomy – despite the obstacles faced by some.”
“It was posted in the European Commission’s site and its purpose is to help the Liar in Chief justify patents on genome — a subject he clearly does not understand (he is no scientific background at all!).”Battistelli knows not a damn thing about biotechnology. Heck, it wasn’t until his mid-fifties that he even got involved in anything “IP”. All he knows is autocracy. Look at his career record.
Further down it says this: “This article is part of the communication of the ProBIO project, a support action for KBBE projects which identifies research results to facilitate their uptake into the relevant sector.”
So it’s acting almost like a think tank. And then it gets fed into the European Commission’s Web site. Wonderful!
“EPO workers ought to know that they have somewhat of foe (passive and unsympathetic) in the higher echelons of the EU.”The bizarre relationship between EU officials and the EPO continues to be mystifying. It’s almost as though the top officials are virtually in cahoots. Earlier today the EPO wrote: “The deadline for the PanEuropean Seal Programme is approaching. Recommend it to anyone you think might be interested…”
This is an EU thing. It makes one wonder if the EU will adopt the EPO after its imminent collapse and reinvention for litigation alone (as UPC hopefuls insist).
EPO workers ought to know that they have somewhat of foe (passive and unsympathetic) in the higher echelons of the EU. They have done virtually nothing to help. The same goes for the German government, unlike Bavarian authorities. Who is rubbing whose back? Is this a case of one hand washing the other and both hands washing the face? And if so, whose face? Why is there endless tolerance of sheer abuses (like the Sicilian Mafia) at the very top tier of European authorities? █
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