Series parts:

1. The EPO's Overseer/Overseen Collusion — Part I: Let the Sunshine In!
2. The EPO’s Overseer/Overseen Collusion — Part II: A “Unanimous” Endorsement?
3. The EPO’s Overseer/Overseen Collusion — Part III: Three Missing Votes
4. YOU ARE HERE ☞ The Founding States

What would EPO founding fathers, Johannes "Bob" van Benthem and Kurt Haertel, have made of Benoît Battistelli's liberticidal project?

Summary: With French presidents occupying more than 80% of the time in such a position for 2 decades, partly owing to nepotism (António Campinos is French and a friend of Battistelli), it seems like the EPO became a failed project; the media isn't ready to admit that correction is urgently needed (partly because the media receives bribes and threats from the EPO)

The seven founding states of the European Patent Organisation were: Germany, France, the United Kingdom, the three countries of the Benelux Union (the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg), and the Alpine confederacy of Switzerland.

The delegations from the organisation's main host states of Germany and the Netherlands voted in favour of the controversial "Strike Regulations" in June 2013 as did the UK.

"As we shall see later, the only Benelux delegation which declined to endorse Battistelli's manifestly flawed and unlawful proposal was the Belgian delegation, headed by Jêrome Debrulle."In the Benelux camp, Luxembourg followed its larger neighbour the Netherlands and likewise voted in favour of the "Strike Regulations".

As we shall see later, the only Benelux delegation which declined to endorse Battistelli's manifestly flawed and unlawful proposal was the Belgian delegation, headed by Jêrome Debrulle.

The two remaining founding states, France and Switzerland, also voted in favour of Battistelli's "Strike Regulations".

A casual observer could be forgiven for naïvely expecting that - in view of their special responsibility as founding members - the delegations representing those states would have seen fit to scrutinise the proposed curtailment of staff rights in a more diligent and critical manner.

"In the upcoming parts we will take a closer look at the delegations from the EPO's founding states, starting with the two main host states, Germany and the Netherlands."But unfortunately the facts on the ground tell a different story and show that such idealistic notions are far removed from the realpolitik of EPO governance.

The official record shows that the delegates from six out of seven of the EPO's founding states had no qualms about endorsing Battistelli's liberticidal project.

In the upcoming parts we will take a closer look at the delegations from the EPO's founding states, starting with the two main host states, Germany and the Netherlands. ⬆