Bonum Certa Men Certa

Translations and Speculations About Jesper Kongstad's Planned Departure From the EPO

Chairman of the Administrative Council Jesper Kongstad
Photo credit: DKPTO at Flickr



Summary: An official text describing Jesper Kongstad's imminent departure from the EPO and DKPTO (by the end of September) and speculations about what will happen next

FOLLOWING the important if not historic news about Jesper Kongstad's planned departure from the EPO we've received not one but two translations from Danish. These help explain the circumstances a little better.



We got a pretty good a translation of this 'official' Danish announcement (not article per se but more of a press release from the Danish Patent and Trademark Office) and it goes like this:

By the end of September, 2017, Jesper Kongstad will cease to be director of the Patent and Trademark Office after 14 years in the post. The Director of the Patent and Trademark Office, Jesper Kongstad, has chosen not to apply for an extension to his contract. The contract expires on 30 September 2017.

"I've really enjoy my job and the office. But I have chosen not to seek an extension to my contract. The background is that I will be 64 this year. If I want to do some other things in life, then it must be now," says Jesper Kongstad.

Jesper Kongstad has been employed as Director of the Patent and Trademark Office since October 2003. For the last 14 years, he has been working to professionalize and develop the office into a modern service company. Now the time has come to pass on the baton.

"It going well for the office now, so it's a good time for me to stop. We have a clear course. We are confident that the office and the organization can continue the good work for our customers and collaborators at a high professional level."

Business as usual

Jesper Kongstad will stay in his job until his last working day, on September 30, 2017. Until then everything will go on as usual: "The next five months will be business as usual. In the office, we will continue to concentrate on getting closer to our customers and becoming even better at understanding their situation and providing them with the best service," says Jesper Kongstad.

The Ministry of Business will initiate the process of finding a replacement as soon as possible. It is expected that the new CEO will be in place on October 1, 2017.


"When he says "Office"," our translator noted, "he means the DKPTO, not the EPO..."

Another reader pointed at this 7-page paper from September of last year [PDF]. It's hosted by DKPTO and our reader called it "the EPO "future"... in 60 days in Argentina (of all places, well known for their great important role in the patent world) a grant! Can't stop laughing about such "quality" initiatives!"

We've studied this document, which seems to suggest a continuation of Battistelli's mission in Latin American nations with hardly any EPs, not to mention several visits to Asian countries with zero EPs. What on Earth is going on? Is he embarking on jets and flying places with a bunch of bodyguards just for a photoshoot? What does he think he is? Royal family?

Anyway, the most informative message we have received explains/elaborates a little about Kongstad's motivations and current situation. "Jesper Kongstad's planned departure," it says, can be explained in part by the above press release.

"Here is a rough translation of the official announcement which appears on the PVS website," said the message, offering another independent translation of the same text:

[PVS = Patent og Varemærkestyrelsen / Patent and Trademark Office]

The Director of the PVS (Patent and Trademark Office), Jesper Kongstad, has decided not to apply for a renewal of his contract. His current contract expires on 30 September 2017.

According to Jesper Kongstad: "I'm very satisfied with my job and with the PVS. But I have decided not to request an extension of my contract. The background to this is that I will be 64 this year. If I want to do some other things in life now is the time."

Kongstad has held the position of Director of the PVS since October 2003. For the last 14 years he has been working to professionalise and develop the office as a modern service company. Now the time has come to pass on the baton.

"Things are going well at the PVS so it's a good time for me to stop. At the PVS we have set a clear course. We are confident that the PVS and the organisation will be able to continue the good work for our customers and partners at a high professional level."

Business as usual

Jesper Kongstad will remain in his job until the final working day on 30 September 2017. Until then everything will continue as usual.

"For the next five months it will be business as usual. At the PVS we will continue to focus on getting closer to our customers and improving our understanding of their situation and providing them with the best service," says Jesper Kongstad.

The Ministry of Business will start the procedure for finding a successor as soon as possible. It is expected that the new Director will take up his duties on 1 October 2017.


Some observations were then added as follows:

Kongstad isn't resigning.

He is just not seeking a renewal of his contract which runs out at the end of September.

But it's not clear what exactly is behind this decision.

There seem to be two possibilities.

Either he has fallen out of political favour in Denmark and has been encouraged to depart quietly or else he still has political support in Denmark and has something up his sleeve.

Until more information becomes available it can't be ruled out that he might be planning to throw his hat into the ring in as a candidate in the upcoming Presidential election campaign at the EPO.

That's nothing more than idle speculation at this stage but it is worth remembering that Kongstad was a contender in the 2009 Presidential election at the EPO and he only withdrew after concluding a deal with Battistelli.

So there is a distinct possibility that he could be considering a bid to take over from Battistelli in a move reminiscent of the Putin-Medvedev double act...

Whatever Kongstad's plans may be, it should be pointed out that his departure as Director of the Danish PVS doesn't automatically mean that he will be leaving the Administrative Council. The head of the Swiss Intellectual Property Office, Grossenbacher, retired in 2015 but he still remains as the head of the Swiss delegation on the EPO Administrative Council. So theoretically Kongstad could remain on the EPO Administrative Council if he still has sufficient political backing in Denmark.


With that in mind, perhaps the celebrations are premature and as we pointed out yesterday, without Kongstad in charge of the Council it might be easier for Battistelli to gain even additional powers. Never underestimate the insatiable thirst for power of this ErdoÄŸan copycat who knowingly breaks all the rules and perpetually makes up new rules (cumulative power grab). Mr. know-it-all will soon have even less supervision.

Recent Techrights' Posts

Explaining (in Length and Depth) the Damage Matthew Garrett Did to Linux and to GNU/Linux Users
no matter how many threats we receive
 
CoC Gone Wrong: Celebrating Murder OK, Complaining About the Celebration Gets You Banned
Hopefully the NixOS Foundation will have a word with (maybe replace) the moderator/s
Gemini Links 12/09/2025: Familiarity and Secondary Dominants
Links for the day
Links 12/09/2025: "Bad Reviews" as Extortion Weapon, "Free Speech At Risk in America’s Schools" According to ACLU
Links for the day
Only One Speaker Does Not Do Sharecropping for MElon (in X.com)
The man who puts principles before PR/optics
The Mind of the 'Hulk Hogan of UEFI'
in a nutshell
A Day After "UEFI 9/11": UEFI Secure Boot Bypass
In the news today (right now), as published in the past few hours
Links 12/09/2025: Slop Code as Liability, Microsoft Outlook Down for Many
Links for the day
It's Still Not to Late to Turn Off "Secure Boot"
If people reboot their PC or server today, and it relies on "Secure Boot" on Sept. 12 or later, then depending on the firmware there may be trouble ahead
Links 12/09/2025: Shira Perlmutter is Back, “Software Per Se” Patent Rejections in In re McFadden
Links for the day
Slopwatch: Linux Plagiarism, Slopfarms Still Infesting Google News, Many Images Are Fake
Google is promoting plagiarism
"This Morning Might Turn Out to be an Interesting One for System Admins Who Haven't Updated Their Devices' Secure Boot Certificate" (If They Reboot)
Who asked for this anyway?
Gemini Links 12/09/2025: Metric System, Dumping Windows, and Software Architecture is Dead
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Thursday, September 11, 2025
IRC logs for Thursday, September 11, 2025
Microsoft Admits the Workers Have Lost Trust (Endless Layoffs, 12-13 Rounds of Layoffs This Year), So Now It's Trotting out Its Peter Bright-Like Media Prop Jordan Novet
What they don't want people to pay attention to right now
Links 11/09/2025: Windows TCO and Russian Drones Invading Poland (EU/NATO)
Links for the day
Gemini Links 11/09/2025: xkcd, misfin, and Alhena 5.3.2
Links for the day
Repetition of Last Summer (Microsoft Breaking Dual-Boot Systems)
UEFI 9/11 is about to kick in
UEFI 'Secure Boot' Boiling Frogs (Cannot Turn Off 'Secure Boot')
"MSI laptop is locked on Secure Boot and doesn't allow me to turn it off"
UEFI 9/11 Aftermath - Part IV: The 'Hulk Hogan of UEFI' and His 'Hideout' Holiday (Retreat From Reality)
Let's keep an eye on what matters
UEFI 9/11 Aftermath - Part III: Mr. 'Secure Boot' (Shim) and His Fake 'Holiday' (Sending My Wife and I Threatening E-mails on 9/11)
despite being on holiday, according to him, he finds time to instruct lawyers to contact my wife
UEFI 9/11 Aftermath - Part II: "The SecureBoot Thing Got Out of Hand."
The next few weeks might be... interesting
UEFI 9/11 Aftermath - Part I: "I Believe This Affects Thousands of Devices... Because Multiple Devices I Checked, Whether Client or Server [...] Affected."
Most people aren't even aware that this is happening or about to happen
The UEFI 9/11 - Part X - An Outline of the Series About Microsoft Sabotaging GNU/Linux (With Ramifications to Unfold Online in Coming Weeks as People Reboot)
Today is UEFI 9/11 (9/11/2025)
Ron Wyden: Microsoft Should be Held Accountable for Security Breaches (He Has Said This for Years Already, It Never Happens)
Negative media coverage isn't a fine and it does nothing to compensate Microsoft's billions of victims
Culture of silence: Ubisoft harassment convictions, Mozilla, Sylvestre Ledru & Debian make no comment
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Disable 'Secure Boot' (If It Lets You)
it doesn't put you in control
Links 11/09/2025: "Hey Hi" Ponzi Schemes at Oracle (Unpaid Contracts) and Cindy Cohn is Leaving the EFF
Links for the day
Longtime Red Hat Staff: Maybe Just Disable 'Secure Boot'
A refreshing take from Adam Williamson
Gemini Links 11/09/2025: Playdate Console, Dichotomy between the Real and the Digital
Links for the day
A Dozen Observations About "UEFI 9/11" Deflections
What we are expected to see, tentatively
The Microsoft AstroTurfing and Microsoft-Led Blame-Shifting Tactics Are Ahead of Us
Of course it has nothing to do with security, it's about control, i.e. them controlling everything
Celebrating Assassination is Bad Because It Legitimises Assassination of the People You Like, Too
Condoning or even celebrating political assassinations is bad optics (and taste)
The World's Richest Ponzi Scheme (Faking Value Using Net Waste)
The higher they go the harder they fall
We Could Dual-Boot Back in the 1990s, Why Has This Become So Difficult?
And prone to breakage
Being Conditioned to Accept Unreliable Computer Systems That Fail With Black Screen of Death (BSoD)
Welcome to 2025
Slopwatch: Google News is Still Promoting Many Fake Articles About "Linux", in Effect Rewarding Misinformation and Plagiarism
things continue to deteriorate
New Series: The Coup Against GNU/Linux Has Begun
today, this year in particular, we shall also focus on Secure Boot, which is sold based on a lie and tortures many computer user
New Paper on "BYOVD, but in firmware. Signed UEFI shells, vulnerable modules offer new paths for Secure Boot bypasses."
One might say digital "security theatre"
Links 11/09/2025: Oracle Layoffs, Drunk Pilots in Japan Airlines, US-Korea Tensions Grow
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Wednesday, September 10, 2025
IRC logs for Wednesday, September 10, 2025
Xubuntu Site Compromised
Let's hope it is not a security breach
Links 10/09/2025: Retaliation at Facebook and Microsoft Reveals Almost 100 Security Holes
Links for the day
Gemini Links 10/09/2025: Annihilation of Self, The Future Eaters, and Leaving Academia
Links for the day
They Say That People Are Afraid of or Worried About "Hey Hi", But the Worriers Should be the Fools Who Invested in It
At the end of the day nobody should worry more than those who invested their money in this bubble
Harassment evidence: franceinfo's Clara Lainé report on Ubisoft prosecution
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Links 10/09/2025: Microsoft Layoffs in "RTO" Clothing and Windows TCO, GitHub TCO
Links for the day
Blaming Everything on China
TikTok works for China. GAFAM works for fascists.
People Get Tired of "Hey Hi" (AI), Unlike the Subservient Money-Obsessed Media That Gets Paid to Pretend This Bubble Still Matters
"crash will be way bigger than dot.com burst in 90s. and that was Internet, actually transformative technology, not this expensive AI toy with direct dependency on the energy input which is not scalable"
Brett Wilson LLP Accepts That the Serial Strangler From Microsoft Filed a Case That Also Implicates My Wife (Everything is Connected)
They used to pretend that there were two separate cases
10 Reasons to Disable (or Enable) UEFI Secure Boot
Tomorrow the "trusted corporation" Microsoft will see a certificate expire
Gemini Links 10/09/2025: Hospital and Large Feeds
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, September 09, 2025
IRC logs for Tuesday, September 09, 2025
The Bluewashing of Red Hat is Being Completed, Many Staff Understand They'll be Made Redundant
Jim AllowHurst (Whitehurst) is meanwhile promoting Microsoft's agenda from within other companies
Throwing Away "Old" Computers (Mozilla and Other Climate Deniers)
Mozilla is not leftist