Bonum Certa Men Certa

Patent Trolls in EPO Events That Promote Software Patents

Extortionists on stage

The Times Profiles a Patent Troll
Reference (EFF article): The Times Profiles a Patent Troll



Summary: The thugs who run the European Patent Office invite other thugs to speak at their events, reaffirming the perpetuation of thuggery and service to patent trolls from the United States

THE STAFF UNION of the European Patent Office, SUEPO, is not saying much. It's just linking to a few reports here and there, occasionally producing word-by-word translations of these. Three days have passed and SUEPO never reinstated what it wrote about USF, so it was quite likely censored by threats (nastygram from Bergot yet again? Her name was rubbed off by USF).



Meanwhile, the EPO management persists in union-busting (some say it's worse or more effective than before), followed by systematic gagging of all staff representatives, not just SUEPO. It means that EPO staff lost its voice. It's almost mute.

"...software patents in Europe are on the rise; they're just described or categorised using hype waves and buzzwords."This is a perfect opportunity for this corrupt management to further lower patent quality and fake 'production' figures, then give itself bonuses for the 'accomplishment'. As we've been stressing many times in recent months, software patents in Europe are on the rise; they're just described or categorised using hype waves and buzzwords.

Aaron Gin, Michael Krasniansky and Alexandra MacKenzie have just published this article about software patents disguised as "AI". Their opening paragraph says: "The field of artificial intelligence has progressed rapidly over the last few decades, resulting in billions of people using AI of some form or another in their daily lives."

The article speaks of "Patenting Trends For Artificial Intelligence," but "AI" nowadays gets (mis)used (more often than not) as synonym for "computer", "algorithm", or "program" (which nowadays has its own synonym, "app"). As long as it's "smart" -- another widely-misused term that refers to constant monitoring of users.

"The EPO has created many loopholes -- more so recently -- for software patents (and told its examiners they must swallow these buzzwords and grant... or else!)."As someone put it yesterday: "Does it mean I can now easily patent anything if I append "… using AI" after it? Just joking, remembering "… with computer" or "… over Internet" craze few years back (with fallout still felt)."

The EPO has created many loopholes -- more so recently -- for software patents (and told its examiners they must swallow these buzzwords and grant... or else!).

With a hiring freeze in effect (lowing staffing numbers), the EPO already sent the signal that those who don't 'perform' will be sacked. That's one heck of a motivator right there.

Yesterday too, as usual, the EPO advocated lots of computer vision patents i.e. bogus software patents, "on a car".

"In 2017 alone," it wrote, "almost 4 000 patent applications for self-driving vehicles were filed at the EPO." It also linked to the blog of António Campinos, summarising as follows: "New on the EPO President's blog: Patent information: past, present and future..."

"With a hiring freeze in effect (lowing staffing numbers), the EPO already sent the signal that those who don't 'perform' will be sacked."The EPO then retweeted a patent maximalist, Anthony Trippe from the US. We suppose they put the interests of the litigation 'industry' from another continent ahead of 1) Europe and 2) science.

"So fabulous to see one of the influential people in #patents talking about the importance of patent #data and #machinelearning," he wrote, linking to yesterday's blog post.(warning: epo.org link)

It's similar to the press release they issued. One paragraph before the last paragraph and signature the President of the EPO promoted illicit patents on software using all the familiar hype waves and buzzwords:

The other element of managing patent information – investigating new technologies – is already well underway. A lot of you know that we’re serious about harnessing the power of Artificial Intelligence, based on a full understanding of the impact of the technologies. That was helped by a major conference on AI earlier this year but now we turn our attention to another subject that could impact upon patent information: Blockchain. In theory this new way to record ownership and other elements of information may have ramifications for patent data but exactly how it will impact this field, and how much, is still unclear. It’s the kind of issue we want to investigate further with your help. So I hope many of you will consider attending our conference on 4 December to discuss how Blockchain could affect various parts of the whole patent landscape.


Shortly afterward the EPO wrote about "Patenting Blockchain" (warning: epo.org link): "Marieke Flament from Circle, Benoît Abeloos from DG CONNECT - @EU_Commission, Jon Wright from @SterneKessler & Erich Spangenberg from @ipwe_ will discuss the possible future impact of blockchain at our event in The Hague: http://bit.ly/EPOblockchain18 pic.twitter.com/shNp3B8dk1"

"Nothing has changed under Campinos; he's still union-busting and gagging staff representatives, using the likes of Bergot for indirection (to make himself look "clean" and "friendly")."I am disgusted but not shocked that the EPO now entertains the highly notorious patent troll Erich Spangenberg, who sends me death wishes. New low for EPO and for Europe in an event that promotes software patents (likely illegal).

The EPO isn't just run by thugs; it's also proudly inviting them. Nothing has changed under Campinos; he's still union-busting and gagging staff representatives, using the likes of Bergot for indirection (to make himself look "clean" and "friendly"). Surely the staff can recognise this by now?

Recent Techrights' Posts

Amid Online Reports of XBox Sales Collapsing, Mass Layoffs in More Teams, and Windows Making Things Worse (Admission of Losses, Rumours About XBox Canceled as a Hardware Unit)...
Windows has loads of issues, also as a gaming platform
 
Consent & Debian's illegitimate constitution
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
The Time Our Server Host Died in a Car Accident
If Debian has internal problems, then they need to be illuminated and then tackled, at the very least in order to ensure we do not end up with "Deadian"
China's New 'IT' Rules Are a Massive Headache for Microsoft
On the issue of China we're neutral except when it comes to human rights issues
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Wednesday, March 27, 2024
IRC logs for Wednesday, March 27, 2024
WeMakeFedora.org: harassment decision, victory for volunteers and Fedora Foundations
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Links 27/03/2024: Terrorism Grows in Africa, Unemployment in Finland Rose Sharply in a Year, Chinese Aggression Escalates
Links for the day
Links 27/03/2024: Ericsson and Tencent Layoffs
Links for the day
Links 27/03/2024: BBC Resorts to CG Cruft, Akamai Blocking Blunders in Piracy Shield
Links for the day
Android Approaches 90% of the Operating Systems Market in Chad (Windows Down From 99.5% 15 Years Ago to Just 2.5% Right Now)
Windows is down to about 2% on the Web-connected client side as measured by statCounter
Sainsbury's: Let Them Eat Yoghurts (and Microsoft Downtimes When They Need Proper Food)
a social control media 'scandal' this week
IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, March 26, 2024
IRC logs for Tuesday, March 26, 2024
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
Windows/Client at Microsoft Falling Sharply (Well Over 10% Decline Every Quarter), So For His Next Trick the Ponzi in Chief Merges Units, Spices Everything Up With "AI"
Hiding the steep decline of Windows/Client at Microsoft?
Free technology in housing and construction
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
We Need Open Standards With Free Software Implementations, Not "Interoperability" Alone
Sadly we're confronting misguided managers and a bunch of clowns trying to herd us all - sometimes without consent - into "clown computing"
Microsoft's Collapse in the Web Server Space Continued This Month
Microsoft is the "2%", just like Windows in some countries
Links 26/03/2024: Inflation Problems, Strikes in Finland
Links for the day
Gemini Links 26/03/2024: Losing Children, Carbon Tax Discussed
Links for the day
Mark Shuttleworth resigns from Debian: volunteer suicide and Albania questions unanswered, mass resignations continue
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Links 26/03/2024: 6,000 Layoffs at Dell, Microsoft “XBox is in Real Trouble as a Hardware Manufacturer”
Links for the day
Gemini Links 26/03/2024: Microsofters Still Trying to 'Extend' Gemini Protocol
Links for the day
Look What IBM's Red Hat is Turning CentOS Into
For 17 years our site ran on CentOS. Thankfully we're done with that...
The Julian Paul Assange Verdict: The High Court Has Granted Assange Leave to Appeal Extradition to the United States, Decision Adjourned to May 20th Pending Assurances
The decision is out
The Microsoft and Apple Antitrust Issues Have Some But Not Many Commonalities
gist of the comparison to Microsoft
ZDNet, Sponsored by Microsoft for Paid-for Propaganda (in 'Article' Clothing), Has Added Pop-Up or Overlay to All Pages, Saying "813 Partners Will Store and Access Information on Your Device"
Avoiding ZDNet may become imperative given what it has turned into
Julian Assange Verdict 3 Hours Away
Their decision is due to be published at 1030 GMT
People Who Cover Suicide Aren't Suicidal
Assange didn't just "deteriorate". This deterioration was involuntary and very much imposed upon him.
Overworking Kills
The body usually (but not always) knows best
Former Red Hat Chief (CEO), Who Decided to Leave the Company Earlier This Month, Talks About "Cloud Company Red Hat" to CNBC
shows a lack of foresight and dependence on buzzwords
IRC Proceedings: Monday, March 25, 2024
IRC logs for Monday, March 25, 2024
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
Discord Does Not Make Money, It's Spying on People and Selling Data/Control (38% is Allegedly Controlled by the Communist Party of China)
a considerable share exists
In At Least Two Nations Windows is Now Measured at 2% "Market Share" (Microsoft Really Does Not Want People to Notice That)
Ignore the mindless "AI"-washing
Internet Relay Chat (IRC) Still Has Hundreds of Thousands of Simultaneously-Online Unique Users
The scale of IRC