Earlier this year we published a long series about the EPO's biggest privacy violation. See the last part with that series' index ("EPO Administrative Council Still Asleep at the Wheel"); this was hardly the first privacy scandal at the EPO because we've covered such scandals for years. The EPO is aware of a perceptual problem, so it keeps name-dropping 'privacy' and 'data protection' just like oil companies keep mentioning words like sustainable and renewable (greenwashing).

"We've currently aware of potential legal action over this matter; some greenwashing and buzzwords as headlines won't weaken such lawsuits, but they can help change the media's (or public) perception of any imppending/ongoing lawsuits."Towards the end of last week the EPO reaffirmed its concern about the perception of privacy. It did a PR stunt, as explained in the video above.

We're currently aware of potential legal action over this matter; some greenwashing and buzzwords (even as headlines!) won't weaken such lawsuits, but they can help change the media's (or public) perception of any imppending/ongoing lawsuits.

"They keep writing press releases about it and the supposed 'media' sometimes reprints every single word."All this cloudwashing (outsourcing disguised as advancement) won't impress privacy professionals, who look at underlying facts rather than pseudo-technical jargon. The EPO managers asking their provider on the subject is akin to a government accused of war crimes interviewing a bunch of mercenaries; the fact that the EPO is inviting other patent offices to this brainwash/marketing session is rather telling, especially considering the timing.

Days ago we wrote about Azure back/bug doors, which aren't a new problem. It's part of the design. It was never about security but US national security (remote access, espionage); the EPO adding lots of Microsoft links to sidebars, not to mention some acronyms and legalese, is akin to proactive legal defence. They keep writing press releases about it and the supposed 'media' sometimes reprints every single word. Fact-checking? None. Astoundingly enough, JUVE's Amy Sandys is still lying for EPO management like she keeps lying for Team UPC. She seems to be under the impression that copy-pasting press releases from thugs who hijacked the EPO is "journalism"... with the same being done for Team UPC. It comes to show what happened to so-called 'journalism' about patents (where conflict of interest is so prevalent and supposed 'experts' cheer for 'Hey Hi' patents or patents for bots, as if patents for pets and insects are next, calling spiders "inventors" with patents on their webs and web-weaving).

"As noted in the video above, there are good reasons to suspect the issue might trickle out to what's left of the media."That the EPO is defensive of its Microsoft outsourcing deal isn't surprising. They're colluding with them in the abuse; only the EPO is legally immune from prosecution, but Microsoft bribes officials to look the other way and focus on other companies (mostly Google).

As noted in the video above, there are good reasons to suspect the issue might trickle out to what's left of the media. The media that's not already bribed by the EPO for puff pieces or silence...

We are going to write a lot more about that separately as it merits more attention. Maybe this coming week... ⬆