Bonum Certa Men Certa

The Fall of the UPC - Part XIV: Media Owned and Controlled by Law Firms Did Not Properly Cover the Decision of the German Constitutional Court (FCC)

No financial incentive to accurately cover the facts; distorting the facts is more profitable

The Law Society Gazette



Summary: We take another look at the shallow if not deliberately misleading coverage in sites that are literally owned and run by law firms, for the benefit of law firms rather than informing the public

THE credibility of the European Patent Office (EPO) is at stake and definitely at risk due to its misleading "press release" (statement in its "news" section, quoting António Campinos) about the UPC/A after the decision in Germany. The career of Battistelli is likely over; he'll never be in 'unitary' anything and he's rapidly aging in the country with some of the highest death tolls right now (for that age group).



"The way we see it, UPC/UP/UPCA was a dying thing or a zombie for 3 or 4 years, either due to Brexit, the complaint in Germany, or both. Team UPC just couldn't get itself to admit this."But what about the credibility of publishers and law firms, notably mouthpieces of Team UPC and leading proponents of UPC, who often themselves participated in drafting the UPC/A? We want to ensure that people know the full story and can look back at what was said after the UPC had died. The first major blow was in February (UK) and the second in March (Germany). There were many other, albeit somewhat smaller, blows in prior years. The way we see it, UPC/UP/UPCA was a dying thing or a zombie for 3 or 4 years, either due to Brexit, the complaint in Germany, or both. Team UPC just couldn't get itself to admit this.

A few months ago Patrick Wingrove at Managing IP 'entrapped' Justice Huber, giving rise to a bunch of false reports about how the complaint would be dismissed (how wrong were they!) and these charlatans in rigged media (de facto lobbyists of Team UPC) continue to show their true face. This week alone one can see Wingrove et al assessing and ranking litigation venues (places in the US) based on how much blackmail and harassment goes on there. It's like the Army rating/ranking countries by how many bombs it drops on them.

Anyway, this is consistent with what we've pointed out for years. The litigation giants run a lot of the media, directly or indirectly, telling us endless lies about the UPC. Now, in April 2020, one can look at all the lies they told over the years. Their misleading articles are still online.

"The litigation giants run a lot of the media, directly or indirectly, telling us endless lies about the UPC."Now, one might expect them to stop lying, seeing that the UPC hit the final wall. But no...

The media in the pockets of Team UPC -- just like Team UPC itself -- will carry on lying to us.

Since we've mentioned Managing IP, which is in the pockets of the EPO and Team UPC, let's consider Wingrove's colleague (Max), who used to write for Law Gazette. How many people even know who owns Law Gazette? It's a misleading title/name; it makes it look like some official and independent journal. We wrote about it before and it's clearly a privately-owned propaganda platform, where the main writer is now Michael Cross.

Want to see what Law Gazette published through Michael? Let's start with this article that said "decade-long attempt to create a unitary patent and enforcing court across European states appeared finally dead last night when Germany’s highest federal court ruled that the decision to join it had been taken unconstitutionally. Following the UK's indication that it would not participate as planned, this means that two of the three required lead jurisdictions have pulled out."

"Michael Cross, to be fair to him, hasn't done a totally bad job."Only France is in; Battistelli is all on his own.

Michael Cross, to be fair to him, hasn't done a totally bad job. He has been a little more balanced than most, but he soon followed with some puff pieces like this one, which is spin: "A German ruling to void membership of the Unified Patent Court highlights the fragility of supranational institutions. But is the UK ready to take advantage of this window of opportunity?"

Well, the UK already has its own patent system and for a number of years we've heard rumours that the UK might also quit the EPC (hence the EPO).

Michael Cross later also changed the headline of the published article. "News focus: A court too far?" became "Unified Patent Court impasse - what now?" with a different URL, but the content is the same (there might be more articles, but we found 3 on this topic, including this duplicate).

"Well, the UK already has its own patent system and for a number of years we've heard rumours that the UK might also quit the EPC (hence the EPO).""In itself," the article says, "the ruling does not kill the UPC or the Unitary Patent it is supposed to regulate."

No, Michael Cross. It does actually. It doesn't explicitly say so, but common sense and basic understanding of the process would lead to the obvious conclusion. Do you await an officially-issued death certificate?

"Stop spinning for your employer," I wrote, "the law firm which owns the publisher..."

"Speaking of law firms as publishers, this is exactly what IP Kat became and it worries us greatly because IP Kat used to be a prominent critic of EPO management."When Max more or less ran the site he did a mostly OK work. He was relatively balanced and he spoke to EPO critics as well. Michael Cross is a step in the wrong direction. The articles mention no critics of the UPC, only Team UPC talking points and even the Law Society president (quoting one's own boss!). If these people wish to undertake journalism seriously, then they must also speak to people whose agenda is different from the employer's (a law firm).

Speaking of law firms as publishers, this is exactly what IP Kat became and it worries us greatly because IP Kat used to be a prominent critic of EPO management. The people who ran IP Kat a few years ago are no longer there (almost everyone left), leaving a vacuum filled by litigation firms and virtually no scholars. The EPO coverage almost always comes from AstraZenecas's (Big Pharma) legal department.

"So now they do ads for patent and copyright maximalists."The other day in IP Kat we saw Magdaleen Jooste giving a platform to 4iP Council, a major part of Team UPC. "4iP Council launched a practical interactive web guide," it says," 4 Reasons 4 Copyright. The guide helps innovative European businesses to understand the strategic value of copyright as an intellectual property tool. The four key benefits of copyright, namely: competitive edge, reputation, collaboration and funding, are discussed in the guide. Get more information here."

So now they do ads for patent and copyright maximalists. Front groups. As we pointed out very early in this series, the only coverage of the FCC's decision at IP Kat was Team UPC puff pieces. It was almost as though Team UPC 'runs' the blog. This once-courageous blog turned from critic to booster of UPC, including spin of it (even megaphone of Team UPC/Hoying!). "Anonymous" wrote three Fridays ago:

Dear Mr Hoying,

Start reading the decision of the FCC before uttering the expectation that it might be possible to "try to draft a text that would make it possible for European Economic Area countries and perhaps even other countries to join".

The FCC has made it abundantly clear: the UPC is only open to EU member states. If the UPC is not yet fully dead, the EPLA is!


Benjamin Henrion then said: "The Court also trashed the way UPC's Rules of Procedure [...] Mr Ramsay will have to look for another job?"

Here's the full comment:

The Court also trashed the way UPC's Rules of Procedure were made by this unelected Administrative Committee without parliamentary involvement:

"UPC rules of procedure were enacted by the Administrative Committee, whereby Art41 did not provide for parliamentary participation as the relevant legal basis in this respect and did not contain any express authorization for the UPC judges to undertake fundamental rights."

Mr Ramsay will have to look for another job?


Maybe there were more comments, but the blog censors some (usually those that don't favour Team UPC or EPO management). So only the above pair of comments can be seen, both hostile towards the original post (but not hostile enough to be deleted).

In another thread in the same blog a retired attorney wrote:

Yes, I am glad we are both well. The times might already be, as you say, "difficult" but they are going to get a whole lot more "difficult" before they get better. Let us hope that debating patent law, while confined at home, achieves something useful to all of us.


Times are only difficult for Team UPC. For people who are busy remote-working (e.g. coding) life will be better now because risk of being sued is vastly reduced.

Comments

Recent Techrights' Posts

Attacks on Techrights Are Only Making Techrights Bigger and Even More Popular
A week ago they offered to settle with us
EPO Staff Can Go Listen to Richard Stallman Next Week in Munich (Technical University of Munich, Rudolf-Diesel Hörsaal (MW2001) on Campus Garching at 18:00)
"The talk is open to the public and attendance is free. Registration is not required."
At IBM, Relocation Means Layoffs (Downsizing)
Silent or 'invisible' layoffs?
Dystopian Trends in Technology Make Richard Stallman More Relevant Than Ever
It's good to see him attracting vast audiences
Richard Stallman (RMS) Announced His Talk Less Than 24 Hours Before It Took Place and Still Filled Up the Auditorium at Sapienza Università di Roma
Photos from yesterday evening [...] It looks like it was a very successful event
 
The DDoS Attacks by Microsoft's Scam Altman and Other Slop Charlatans and Frauds is Hurting the FSF, Delinking It From Copyleft Projects
This impacts a lot more than access to the licences
Microsoft Scanning Faces in Photos People Upload to Microsoft (Even Unconsciously), Slashdot Turns Report About It Into "Microsoft Sez" (Says)
Or "let's repeat the lies from a PR person/Microsoft's publicist"
[Teaser] Angel Aledo Lopez the Manipulator (Nepotism, Poll Rigging, and Other EPO Corruption)
We'll discuss this later today or tomorrow, based on internal EPO material
Epic Metaphor for End of IBM: "The IBM Demolition is Down to the Last Shards!"
Nothing lasts forever
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, October 14, 2025
IRC logs for Tuesday, October 14, 2025
Proprietary and DRM Prisons Spiralling Down the Sinkhole? Not Just Yet.
Let's hope that more people will flee to GNU/Linux
The European Patent Office (EPO), the Second-Largest Institution in Europe, is Cracking Down on Recreational Activities
Without AMICALE activities, and as staff already says it's pressured to work more for less, how can the EPO recruit bright people?
Transparency: FSFE financial reports exclude speaker fees and expenses
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Many Developers Have Many Political Views, They'll Never Agree on Everything
It's an effort to divide and destroy, not build
Gemini Links 14/10/2025: An Opportunity to Consider GNU/Linux and Another Simple IRC Client
Links for the day
Slopwatch: UbuntuPIT, LinuxSecurity, Google News, and the Serial Slopper Brian Fagioli
Nothing of merit here, just more slop
Links 14/10/2025: Lack of Trust in Slop and "Retirement Challenges"
Links for the day
Rhonda D'Vine, Gerfried Fuchs, Pronouns & Debian pregnancy cluster
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Central Staff Committee of the European Patent Office (EPO) Warns That EPO Management is Robbing or Manipulating Pension Funds Again
Faking "growth" is just about as bad as forgery
Probably a Lot Worse Than LLM Slop: GNOME Tying Itself to Divisive Politics, Even Where It's Clearly Not Relevant
Something has gone terribly wrong in GNOME
Links 14/10/2025: Microsoft OneDrive Scanning Faces in Photos (Without Asking First), "OpenAI Says It Will Move to Allow Smut"
Links for the day
They Generally Don't Like Scholars, as They're Less Compelled or Pressured to Repeat What Corporations and Oligarchs Say
People who loathe scholars have an agenda in mind that, unlike that of reasonable people, revolves around controlling people
Belated New Article About Last Thursday's Lecture by Richard Stallman in Helsinki, Finland
there are good reasons to pay with cash, not limited to privacy
Attacking Richard Stallman Has Become 'Career Suicide'
If you're going to viciously attack somebody, make sure your arguments are rock-solid
Microsoft's Failing XBox Business Has Turned Games Into Funerals
How does it feel to depend on Microsoft?
Yesterday's "Distinguished Lecture" by Richard Stallman Possibly Attended by Close to 1,000 People
The capacity of the place is about 900
Slop Poisons Everything
Imagine wanting to find what Torvalds has just said or what has just been released
Taking Software Freedom 'Mainstream'
interest in Software Freedom must have grown
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Monday, October 13, 2025
IRC logs for Monday, October 13, 2025
Gemini Links 14/10/2025: Ada Lovelace Day, Sony CLIE PEG-TG50 Review, Why to Avoid Network Solutions
Links for the day
The EPO's War on Techrights Was a Massive Mistake
The EPO started the SLAPPs after we had published a few hundreds of articles; we've since then published close to 6,000 because the attacks on us emboldened insiders to help us
General-Purpose Computers to Become Growing Area of Coverage
Without them, we have little left for controlling our lives
"They missed a great opportunity to shut up." -Jacques Chirac
Brett Wilson LLP has been trying to cheat the legal system many times
Harassment evidence: Switzerland, overcrowded fitness and yoga centers, incompetence and racism in accident response
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Vincent Danjean & Debian NXIVM collateral, blackmail risks
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
In Sweden This Past Friday Richard Stallman Explained Why Copyleft is Important
And he didn't have to 'bash' BSDs, either
IBM Layoffs Due to a Lack of Money and Company Debt Rising by Almost 10 Billion Dollars in 6 Months
IBM didn't buy Red Hat for any ideological reasons; it was a fast "cash grab" for revenue
Forbes Already Stopped Being a News Sites. Now It's a Spam and Propaganda Platform for "Paying Partners" (Companies).
news from Forbes became very scarce
Is the Second-Largest Institution in Europe (EPO) Gradually Becoming More Like a Sweatshop?
Underpaid, unqualified, inexperienced and incompatible people are already recruited to replace veteran examiners
The Register MS Has No FOSS Coverage Anymore
The Editor in Chief is like a Microsoft plant
Links 13/10/2025: "Toasty Subwoofer" and WiFi Speakers "Are About To Go Dumb"
Links for the day
Gemini Links 13/10/2025: iNaturalist and Tove Jansson’s Moominpappa at Sea
Links for the day
Microsoft Does Not Deny That Large Retailers Like Walmart, Costco and Target Are Giving Up on XBox (and Not Stocking It)
No doubt XBox is in trouble and rumours suggest that more mass layoffs are imminent
We'll Encourage Richard Stallman to Talk About Software Patents at the EPO Next Week When He Visits Munich (EPO Headquarters)
Go listen to Richard Stahlmann
Investigative Journalism Protects Society From Corruption, Crimes Against Women, Assaults on Civil Society
"what is the point of men doing military practice to defend a system that is so rotten?"
Swiss pimp usurping reputation of legendary Tissot boss Francois Thiébaud from France (BaselWorld, SWATCH Group SA)
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Paris 'Love Nest' & Debian Outreachy: from Lycée Lakanal to ENS Cachan, Cr@ns, nepotism
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Richard Stallman to Give Public Talk in 3 Hours, Then in the Technical University of Munich (Germany) Next Week
Richard Stallman at TUM on 21.10.2025 18:00, MW2001
Arnaud Parreaux lost case defending rogue employer
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Mathieu Elias Parreaux declared bankrupt in Switzerland
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Breakdown of the Rule of Law and Patent Law in the European Union (EU)
The EPO cannot recruit suitably qualified patent examiners this way, let alone retain them
Gemini Links 13/10/2025: Good Films, Wizard of Earthsea, Upgrading the Steam Controller's Stick
Links for the day
Leaks and Whistleblowers: Our Plan for Today
Society simply cannot advance when too many people self-censor
It's Not Justice When One Side Denies the Other Side the Ability to Even Speak
At this stage, Brett Wilson LLP is in my humble opinion acting in contempt of the Court
Links 13/10/2025: Australian Catholic University Uses Slop to Libel Students, Canada Threatens to Kill Beluga Whales
Links for the day
How Not to Silence Tux Machines (It'll Only Backfire, Badly)
defending Microsoft while attacking this site
Slopwatch: UbuntuPIT and Google News
It seems abundantly clear that Google News and Google in general participates in the slop epidemic
Vincent Danjean (not INTERPOL), Claire Bardel & Debian pregnancy cluster
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Christmas lynchings: Martin Krafft (madduck), Penny Leach (mjollnir) & Debian pregnancy cluster
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Gemini Links 13/10/2025: Birthdays and "Committee Unable to Contact Nobel Prize Winner"
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Sunday, October 12, 2025
IRC logs for Sunday, October 12, 2025