04.09.20
Gemini version available ♊︎Coronavirus Has Not Slowed Down the EPO’s Promotion of Illegal Software Patents
Summary: Using the latest buzzwords and weasel words (digital, games, videogames, digitalisation etc.) the EPO continues to invite bogus patents/applications and boasts about granting a lot more of them
THE European Patent Office’s (EPO) promotion of software patents in Europe is disguised using new — or novel-sounding — buzzwords again. They never say “software patents”; almost never! So one must learn if not internalise/memorise the weasel terms, which change over time (to shrewdly dodge public scrutiny and ride the latest hype waves).
“So one must learn if not internalise/memorise the weasel terms, which change over time (to shrewdly dodge public scrutiny and ride the latest hype waves).”Back in the Battistelli days European media was paid by the EPO’s coffers (likely illegal accounting!) to spread “4IR” hype — a nonsensical term adopted almost by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) as much as other terms, including “hey hi” (AI), which António Campinos continues to name-drop every now and then. In the U.S., however, 35 U.S.C. § 101 is still meaningful (unlike the EPC in Europe, unless it goes to national courts).
“Notice how the page cited there has started (as in first entry) with promotion of illegal patents on algorithms conveniently disguised as “games” now that more gamers than ever are out there (or in there, in lock-down).”Earlier this week the EPO wrote again about “digital” things; it’s part of a campaign with Web pages, designed to call all sorts of things with a computer “digital” and allow patents on them — even patents that pertain to software alone. The EPO wrote: “Is #digitalcommunication your field of expertise? See how well it did in 2019 in terms of European patent applications here: https://bit.ly/DigitalisationIndex … #EPOresults”
The EPO also tweeted: “If you’d like to learn more about #patents, we invite you to take a look at our e-learning centre. It’s very easy to use and free of charge! https://bit.ly/2rLhMKA”
“Remember that when the EPO set up a physical event for “Blockchain” it invited a very notorious patent troll to sit on the panel whilst acknowledging these were software patents.”Notice how the page cited there has started (as in first entry) with promotion of illegal patents on algorithms conveniently disguised as “games” now that more gamers than ever are out there (or in there, in lock-down).
“In crisis times,” Benjamin Henrion wrote yesterday, “patents of bankrupt companies will end up in the hands of patent trolls. Like it happened during the dotcom bubble…”
He himself is a victim of trolls. Trolls who leverage bogus software patents like the ones EPO grants in violation of the EPC.
This shows no signs of abatement; the EPO posted many tweets about “Blochchain” lately, including this from yesterday: “Are you interested in the following technologies? Sign up for our free webinars to find out more about innovation in these fields: – CAR T-cell immunotherapy – #Blockchain – Graphene composite technology – Quantum sensing and metrology https://bit.ly/2rtEVAP”
There were several tweets just like it this month.
Remember that when the EPO set up a physical event for “Blockchain” it invited a very notorious patent troll to sit on the panel whilst acknowledging these were software patents. █
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