Previously on EPO 'results':

• EPO Record Low on Quality of European Patents (EPs) in 2016
• The European Patent Office is Wasting Its Already Limited Budget on Misleading Press Releases/Paid-for Coverage That Overlook Sharp Decline in Patent Quality
• Latest EPO 'Results' Should be Grounds for Immediate Dismissal of Battistelli Rather Than Celebrations
• 'Evil Tongues' Inside and Outside the EPO Explain Why Battistelli's 2016 'Results' Are Bad While the Media Mindlessly Repeats EPO Management's Talking Points
• Incredibly Unscientific: EPO is Making up Excuses for Decline in Patent Applications
• Unscientific and Offensive: EPO Deletes From the Map Countries Where Number of Applications at the EPO Has Declined!
• Whenever Battistelli's EPO Says Something These Days, Safest to Just Assume It's a Lie (Because It Typically Is)
• Hidden Away in a Barely-Viewed Video is the Map of Europe Which the EPO Hides, as It Demonstrates Decline in Applications That EPO Cannot Deny
• EPO Reduces the World to Just Seven Nations to Bolster an Illusion of Growing 'Demand' for European Patents
• The European Patent Office Has Entered a Dark Era of Anti-Science and Fake 'Research'
• Next Week's Annual Report From the EPO Will Say Nothing About Decline in Patent Quality
• EPO Annual Report Will Dominate the News Next Week, Whereas Unitary Patent (UPC) is a Goner

Summary: Manipulation of facts seems to be standard operational procedure under Battistelli; expect more of the same very shortly (same as above)

The management of the European Patent Office has ruined patent quality in the name of 'production' (production of rubbish maybe). It totally threw aside the very essence of patent examination and turned the Office into a production/assembly line. That won't end well as that devalues granted patents (European Patents past, present and future). It also alienates stakeholders, the staff, and eventually the public (when the public finds out the collateral effect).

"It also alienates stakeholders, the staff, and eventually the public (when the public finds out the collateral effect)."We kindly remind all readers that the EPO reduced the fees after the patent applications number had dropped. Trying to artificially inflate these numbers? We think so. Yesterday the EPO wrote: "How well did China, the US and Europe perform in 2017 in terms of patenting activities? #EPOresults go public in only three days. Stay tuned!"

They're naming two countries and a continent. What about Japan? Be ready for a large growth from China (which only 'exports' its Mandarin patents that aren't absolutely rubbish). The US previously (last year) showed considerable declines in applications and Europe was also negative. So all they could really brag about was "China!" (and even with China in the mix the overall/global number was negative).

"The US previously (last year) showed considerable declines in applications and Europe was also negative."Battistelli has meanwhile done (warning: epo.org link) an Iancu photo op. Remember that the USPTO is now headed by a person from the patent microcosm, born in the Soviet Union, with history of work for Donald Trump which brings rise to suspicions of nepotism.

What we find interesting is yesterday's reminder from the EPO to play along in "user satisfaction [sic] surveys"...

"If the canteen/office rumours are true and over a thousand examiners are about to get laid off (there aren't enough applications coming in), then all these millions of euros that Battistelli throws at festivals and alleged 'bribes' will be seriously frowned upon.""Your feedback matters to us," they said, but history clearly suggests otherwise.

This next bogus study is part of an EPO pattern. Battistelli et al hire a private firm that just shows what they demand, not what it true, then pay the media to repeat the lie ad infinitum. Expect more of that to happen; Battistelli misuses the budget to transform European media into his megaphone (or to keep silent about EPO scandals). This is separate from another survey which they keep advertising and this new PR charade (warning: epo.org link) which was promoted in Twitter yesterday.

It's a blatant PR stunt and waste of stakeholders' money/budget: Here's what it is:

The EPO is pleased to announce a new call for proposals for funding under its Academic Research Programme. Under the programme, grants of up to EUR 100 000 are awarded in respect of selected proposals on patent-related matters. This programme complements the EPO's long-standing commitment to support research on patent data obtained through its Worldwide Patent Statistical Database (PATSTAT).

100,000 euros may not sound like a lot of money, but that pays an examiner's salary. If the canteen/office rumours are true and over a thousand examiners are about to get laid off (there aren't enough applications coming in), then all these millions of euros that Battistelli throws at festivals and alleged 'bribes' will be seriously frowned upon. Accountability? Nah. No such thing exists in Battistelli's French lexicon. ⬆