THE EPO is about to pretend that all is rosy at the EPO. That's a lie. Then we have EPO-backed legislative laundering, notably the UPC, which many high-profile figures insist is a back door to software patents in Europe. Annsley "AmeriKat" Ward, who promoted software patents and the UPC for quite some time (several years), is leaving IP Kat for a UPC booster (a law firm which even sort of renamed itself for UPC 'business'). Other sites of patent lawyers currently promote the UPC, which would completely mess up Europe's economy -- for lawyers' gain of course (they would be the one to pocket the money from feuds). When will patent maximalists -- some of whom are paid by Battistelli -- finally realise that the king is dead (as the saying goes) and thus stop this whole UPC charade/PR? The whole 'preparation' of it is a sham that one might expect from a third-world country or a Banana Republic. There are no proper committees with a wide spectrum of stakeholders; usually it happens behind closed doors and it boils down to a conspiracy of lawyers scheming to make themselves richer. They're stealing democracy. This must end, but first -- as was the case with ACTA, TPP, TTIP and so on -- the public needs to know that this is happening (currently it is being kept in the dark, all while this Trojan horse is being wheeled in).

"This must end, but first -- as was the case with ACTA, TPP, TTIP and so on -- the public needs to know that this is happening (currently it is being kept in the dark, all while this Trojan horse is being wheeled in)."We were all once told that patent offices are in the job/task (or 'business') of granting patents, and only after thorough examination; now inside the EPO we see lobbying, mental torture, and networks of nepotism which extend to UPC. Here is the EPO lobbying for the UPC again (despite the backlack), essentially promoting an antidemocratic (‘theft’ of democracy) process. Shame on the EPO. They link to this promotional UPC piece that's so optimistic -- enough to pretend that UPC is inevitable (in spite of Spanish opposition, Brexit and so on). "The Unitary Patent," it says, "a unified patent system applicable across the European Union - has been in development since 2012 and will soon be lifting off" (no, not really, especially if Battistelli is on his way out, paving the way to another kind of reform). ⬆