THE EPO is wasting over a million Euros per year on spurious PR like pro-UPC events in another continent. There is also a lot of hogwash now that the EPO expels the independent judges or the boards they're part of. Shortly after Battistelli was demolishing the boards and putting lipstick on the pig (see our translation of the hogwash) James Nurton is again, having done a softball 'interview' with Battistelli earlier this year in order to help him cover up/whitewash amid peak of a crisis (boiling point), jumping to his rescue. There is this new 'Managing IP' (MIP) nonsense titled "EPO President Battistelli on appeals reforms". Why not just reprint a prepared (by the EPO's PR team) ghostwritten piece? They frame this as an interview, but any fool can see what it really is. It's supposedly behind a paywall ("$/trial," as they put it in Twitter less than an hour ago), so the choir gets preferential access to the lies, the rest will find it harder to rebut (let alone see). This is a common tactic when suppressing criticism. The same goes for attendance at events where dissent is being discouraged/disallowed (e.g. by limiting who can speak and charging a furtune to attend, with exceptions/discounts to 'desirable' guests).

"...James Nurton is again, having done a softball 'interview' with Battistelli earlier this year in order to help him cover up/whitewash amid peak of a crisis (boiling point), jumping to his rescue."What on Earth is happening to MIP? It's even a multi-part Battistelli series, clearly prepared in advance to be released in conjunction with today's UPC advocacy event. "This is the first of a two-part article," Nurton wrote. "A further interview with Battistelli, on the social situation at the Office, will be published later this month."

So, basically, they are planning to publish complete and utter lies like those we explained under an hour ago (the so-called 'social conference' and social report/study).

Shame on MIP. They're not journalists, they're actually Battistelli's propagandists now. Some EPO staff is attending (not willfully) their UPC event, which they have advertised as follows: "Our #EUPatent16 forums take place this week in Munich (Tuesday) & Paris (Thursday) incl. panels on #UPC, #UnitaryPatent, #Brexit & #Frand"

This is a UPC promotion event. Make no mistake about it. Look who has speaking positions. It was mentioned here before, not just a month ago but also days ago. Hastags like #Brexit #EUPatent16 #UPC and #UnitaryPatent are being used by MIP to promote this and even #Frand (yes, the anti-FOSS, pro-software patents Trojan horse!)

"Come on," they told me this morning. "We're not in the business of promoting #UPC or #Unitarypatent - just providing a platform for discussion!"

"This is a UPC promotion event."Yeah, right...

Another 'conference' brought to you by EPO, sort of...

"I can say very much the same," said someone about the EPO a short while ago. "Management is loyal only to hidden agendas, power and weak moral."

The problem is, MIP agreed to do the EPO management's work. This shows that their integrity is flaky to say the least. They also profit from this event (over a thousand Euros for each person to attend a one-day event, assuming standard charges).

"I know you claim to have a neutral position," I replied to them, "but the speakers' lineup will likely omit any opponents," as usual.

"They also profit from this event (over a thousand Euros for each person to attend a one-day event, assuming standard charges)."Well, perhaps foreseeing a backlash for licking Battistelli's boot, MIP wrote to me this morning, hours before the puff piece and around the time the aforementioned event started.

"Disagree," they added. "Based on our previous events, we expect a full range of views from speakers & audience. You should come to one!"

I replied with "€1095 for a one-day event about the #upc (plus plane tickets) [is] well beyond my means. Event for the rich to preach to the rich."

"Our events are free for in-house counsel, academics & R&D professionals," they replied. "Come next year as our guest!"

"We are very sad to see MIP becoming a lot more like IAM, which is the propaganda mill of Battistelli, still."Well, being a guest at an event with thugs like Team Battistelli (and their bodyguards) doesn't sound all that safe and besides, the place will be stuffed/stacked with pro-UPC people. It's like entering the lion's den.

We are very sad to see MIP becoming a lot more like IAM, which is the propaganda mill of Battistelli, still.

As an aside, the EPO's PR people have been 'spamming' universities even today (this morning onwards). They don't publicly mention or endorse MIP's event, but it's clear that they're very much embedded in it. It's not at all hard for outsiders to see. ⬆