Bonum Certa Men Certa

The EPO is Run by Dictators, Elected Staff Representatives Are Left Out of Key Consultations

Video download link | md5sum d61cabdab8e14a34185a0b3ba94916a6 Dictators-Run EPO Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0



Summary: Clueless politicians with no grasp (or very scarce understanding) of patent law are taking over the entire state of EPOnia; it is a recipe for disaster as it facilitates coups by "special interests" (or moneyed interests), detached entirely from scientific objectives

MR. "efficiencies" António Campinos acts as if the EPO is basically a bank. Like bankers who disregard science, laws, their native populations and so forth. The video above reminds examiners that the patent examination process should be a lot like peer review, not a business-minded escapade. The EPO's management is recklessly breaking the law, capitalising on diplomatic immunity as if it's a licence to invade courts, introduce illegal measures, and drain the life out of the whole system for personal gain. Thankfully many examiners are fighting back. They didn't join the Office to conduct clerical tasks for Campinos and his chums. They're researchers, not machines operators.



Nice one, AntónioThe Central Staff Committee (CSC) has taken note of the fact that the Office isn't even listening to staff anymore. It's basically a dictatorship (you know whose!) and it's designed to pass wealth from ordinary Europeans to plutocrats and corporations that are typically not European. Pillage and plunder (P&P) disguised as "Patents" and "Protection"[ism]...

"A GCC meeting took place on 16 February," the CSC wrote. "Two documents were submitted for information, i.e. the President did not expect our opinion on them. However, in order to do our job, we consider that we have to give our opinion on both documents, which we sent to him and which you can read..."

The General Consultative Committee (GCC) was explained here in past years and introduced in the video above.

Now on to the documents from the CSC. They've sent to staff this one page summary along with this more detailed document [PDF], an opinion with annex. Or "Target Operating Model for DG1 Organisational Steps & Other Organisational Changes (including H&S)," to use their own words.

Here's the much shorter document of the pair, as shown in the video above:



Opinion of the CSC members of the GCC on GCC/DOC 01/2022

Salary Savings Plan: Launch of two new target funds and update of Circular 317



Introduction

The list of funds in the life-cycle strategy needs to be updated at regular time intervals (e.g. on a five-year basis). The list is an integral part of Circular 317, The change in 2022 consists in the addition of two further funds in the life-cycle strategy.

On consultation

One duty of the Supervisory Committee for the Salary Savings Plan is to supervise investment management and administration for the salary savings plan. It shall also advise the President of the Office and may issue recommendations1. As a result, documents relating to the investment strategy available to the Salary Savings Plan members must be submitted to the Supervisory Committee. This has not taken place.

In addition, the document is presented to the GCC for information only. It relates to an amendment to Circular 317, which is an integral part (Part 1b) of the Service Regulations. Previous document (GCC/DOC 29/2019 REV1) was tabled to the GCC for consultation.

Therefore, the consultation process is flawed in two respects.

On the substance

The CSC members of the GCC gave a unanimous positive opinion on Circular 317 in its previous version of 2 June 2020. The change in 2022 consists in the mere addition of two further funds in the life-cycle strategy.

The CSC members of the GCC give a positive opinion on this amendment.

____ 1 See Article 4 ServRegs - Impl. R. Supervisory Committee


As noted this morning (actually recorded yesterday), there's just about ZERO MEDIA COVERAGE about this situation, a conflict inside Europe's second-largest institution. This so-called "conspiracy of silence" isn't helping Europe or the EU; these things are adding up and they'll just boil over worse than before (the Benoît Battistelli era).

To use an analogy, similarly inside corporations or institutions (e.g. government departments) that don't permit airing of grievances internally there's a build-up of silent dissent, which eventually spills over and gets "out there" like Edward Snowden's NSA leaks. Snowden had studied the stories of prior NSA whistleblowers (at least 3 of them, J. Kirk Wiebe, Thomas Drake, and William Binney) and even tested the water a bit before choosing to meet journalists in Hong Kong. The EPO is well aware of all the scandals; the European Council trying to cover things up along with the Administrative Council simply ensures that the blowback will discredit a lot more than the EPO, causing a crisis not just for the Office but the whole of the EU and pertinent national governments, including ours.

Given the lack of participation by the media, which actively keeps this crisis under the wraps, we'd like to urge readers to contact local publishers. Here's a list of them for Europe:

.ad     RTVA    https://rtva.ad/
.al     RTSH    https://rtsh.al/
.at     ORF     https://der.orf.at/
.ba     BHRT    https://bhrt.ba/
.be     RTBR    https://rtbf.be/
.be     VRT     https://vrt.be/
.bg     BNR     https://www.bnr.bg/
.bg     BNT     https:/bnt.bg/
.ch     SRGSSR  https://www.srgssr.ch/
.cy     PIK     https://cybc.com.cy/
.cz     ÄŒeská televize  http://www.ceskatelevize.cz
.cz     Český rozhlas   http://www.rozhlas.cz/
.de     BR      http://br.de/
.de     Deutschlandradio        https://www.deutschlandradio.de/
.de     DW      https://dw.com/
.de     HR      https://hr.de/
.de     MDR     https://mdr.de/
.de     NDR     http://www.ndr.de/
.de     Radiobremen     https://www.radiobremen.de/
.de     RBB     https://www.rbb-online.de/
.de     SR      https://sr.de/
.de     SWR     https://swr.de/
.de     WDR     https://wdr.de/
.de     ZDF     https://zdf.de/
.dk     DR      https://dr.dk/
.dk     TV2     https://tv2.dk/
.ee     ERR     https://www.err.ee/
.es     RTVE    https://rtve.es/
.fi     YLE     https://yle.fi/
.fo     KvF     https://kvf.fo/
.fr     France Médias Monde     http://www.francemediasmonde.com/
.fr     France Télévisions      http://www.france.tv/
.fr     Radio France    https://radiofrance.fr/
.ge     GPB     https://gpb.ge/
.gl     KNR     https://www.knr.gl/
.gr     EPT     https://int.ert.gr/
.gr     EPT     https://webradio.ert.gr/
.gr     EPT     https://www.ert.gr/
.hr     HRT     https://hrt.hr/
.hu     Duna Médiaszolgáltató   https://dunamsz.hu/
.hu     MTVA    https://mtva.hu/
.ie     RTÉ     https://rte.ie/
.ie     TG4     https://tg4.ie/
.it     RAI     https://rai.it/
.lt     LRT     https://lrt.lt/
.lu     Radio 100,7     https://100komma7.lu/
.lu     RTL     https://www.rtlgroup.com/
.lv     LR      https://www.latvijasradio.lsm.lv/
.lv     LSM     https://lsm.lv/
.lv     LTV     https://ltv.lsm.lv/lv/
.mc     MMD     https://www.mmd.mc/en/
.md     TRM     https://trm.md/
.me     RTCG    https://rtcg.me/
.mk     MPT     https://play.mrt.com.mk/
.mt     PBS     https://www.pbs.com.mt/
.nl     AVROTROS        https://www.avrotros.nl/
.nl     BNNVARA https://bnnvara.nl/
.nl     EO      https://www.eo.nl/
.nl     HUMAN   https://human.nl/
.nl     KRO-NCRV        http://kro-ncrv.nl/
.nl     MAX     https://www.omroepmax.nl/
.nl     NOS     https://nos.nl/
.nl     NPO     https://www.npo.nl/
.nl     NTR     https://ntr.nl/
.nl     PowNed  https://www.powned.tv/
.nl     STER    https://www.ster.nl/
.nl     VPRO    https://vpro.nl/
.nl     WNL     https://www.omroepwnl.nl/
.no     NRK     https://nrk.no/
.pl     SpóÅ‚ka Akcyjna  http://prsa.com.pl/
.pl     TVP     https://tvp.pl/
.pt     RTP     https://rtp.pt/
.ro     SRR     https://srr.ro/
.ro     TVR     https://tvr.ro/
.rs     RTS     https://rts.rs/
.se     SR      http://www.sr.se/
.se     SVT     https://www.svt.se/
.se     UR      https://www.ur.se/
.si     RTV     https://rtvslo.si/
.si     RÚV     https://www.ruv.is/
.sk     RTVS    https://rtvs.sk/
.sm     RTV     https://sanmarinortv.sm/
.ua     Suspilne        https://corp.suspilne.media/
.va     Statio Radiophonica Vaticana    https://www.vaticannews.va/


"The list of national broadcasters can be of use to EPO staff in reaching out about the upcoming strike," an associate told me this morning. "Given that the EPO is the second largest international organisation in Europe, the news is relevant to the member states. However, they would have to be contacted by native speakers and, preferably, residents or nationals."

Recent Techrights' Posts

Crossbow tragedy, bigger than Kyle Clifford, social media culture
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Transcript of Richard Stallman's Interview With Manuel Cuda News in Italy (Debunking Fake "AI")
A rough draft, but checked by two people
Microsoft Collapses While GNU/Linux Rises in Bulgaria, According to statCounter
Microsoft is losing across all sectors
The Fall of the Open Source Initiative (OSI): An Introduction
In a nutshell: there's a massive conflict inside the OSI and the OSI stooges (staff serving Big Sponsors like Microsoft) try to hide it
Paraguay: GNU/Linux Surging to New Usage Levels (7%), According to statCounter
Notice that the gains are at Microsoft Windows' expense
Social Control Media as a Rapid Race to the Bottom - Part I - That Sinking Feeling
When you realise you made an error and things you adopted more than 15 years ago became utterly bad
Microsoft's Entryism as Mortal Risk/Danger: The Example of the Open Source Initiative (OSI)
Microsoft is a cult
FSF Amicus Brief: Aspose.PDF for .NET 24.2.0, OOXML (.docx), and Microsoft Word (Proprietary)
Could the FSF not find any law firm that, in addition to talking about or for Free software, does not use .NET, OOXML, and almost everything Microsoft?
New Interview With Richard Stallman in Italy (Manuel Cuda News)
Due to Google's growing aggression against Free software and proper APIs, this cannot be downloaded and converted to a free format
The UEFI hype and Microsoft's lies
By Sami Tikkanen
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
 
Luxembourg: GNU/Linux at 8% Based on Estimates
steady increases this year
Gemini Links 04/03/2025: Bicycle, Photos, and Motorola 6809 Assemblers
Links for the day
Microsoft OSI Apparently Still Reading Techrights Closely, Trying to Make Face-Saving PR Moves
They have long had this reactionary rhythm, wherein it feels like we can 'control' what they publish and when by merely highlighting facts about them
Slopwatch: linuxsecurity.com and Other 'Linux' Sites With LLM Slop
SEO spam with machine-generated fodder, plus a person to whom English isn't a first language
Links 04/03/2025: Microsoft/Korea Game Industry Association Workforce Cuts, Outlook and 365 Outage Affects Very Many
Links for the day
Chad: All-Time Lows for Windows, According to statCounter
According to statCounter, many in Chad moved to Android
Links 04/03/2025: Universities Are Under Attack, Windows Attracts Ransom Against Ministry of Health
Links for the day
Links 04/03/2025: Microsoft Issues Policy Instructions to the Cheeto Mussolini Administration, Cloudflare Engages in Mass Censorship Again
Links for the day
Gemini Links 04/03/2025: Athens, Fedora 41, and Yelling at Clouds
Links for the day
The Free Software Foundation (FSF) Belatedly Comments on Case That Tests Copyleft in the United States
"The Free Software Foundation (FSF) announced today it has submitted an amicus brief in the case entitled Neo4j"
If They Try to Censor You on Some Topic, Then You Should Cover This Topic Even More
OSI is only a small part of it
IRC Proceedings: Monday, March 03, 2025
IRC logs for Monday, March 03, 2025
Thorsten Glaser & Open Source Initiative (OSI) resignations due to AI whitewashing
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
Gemini Links 03/03/2025: Copyrights, GrapheneOS, and SpaceBeans
Links for the day
Links 03/03/2025: Europe Rallies Behind Ukraine, Measles Flourishes in US Again
Links for the day
In Central African Republic Windows Has Pretty Much Fallen to Zero
We need to focus on Software Freedom
Microsoft Windows Down to 8.5% in South Africa
South Africa and Egypt are strategic in Africa
After Fund-raising Campaign the Free Software Foundation Still Raises About $13,000 Per Week (Without Campaigning for New Donors/Members)
Richard Stallman in the Board is not a liability
Links 03/03/2025: 'Monetisation' Myth' and Microsoft's LLMs Helping Criminals
Links for the day
The New Series About the Open Source Initiative (OSI) and the Microsoft Entryism in OSI is Closely Related to the SLAPP Against Techrights
Also based on the leading publication that they want removed
New Series: A Deep Dive Into the Severe Corruption of the Open Source Initiative (OSI), Nowadays a Front Group and Lobbyist of Microsoft
There's a lot to show
Links 03/03/2025: Mass Layoffs in IBM China, Intel Still in Trouble
Links for the day
3 Out of 4 in Cuba Use Linux to Access the Web
Maybe change does come about...
Doing Free Software for a Living in an Era or a Time of Abundance of Code (and Fast Internet to Pass It Around Freely) or Writing When the Web is Attacked by LLM Slop
Tailoring code to needs is the key
Links 02/03/2025: Day Off, POWER9, Console Challenge
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Sunday, March 02, 2025
IRC logs for Sunday, March 02, 2025
Microsoft Windows Falls to All-Time Low in Thailand
We're seeing many all-time records like these so far in 2025
Gemini Links 02/03/2025: Snowdrop Flower and Hostile Leaders
Links for the day
Links 02/03/2025: Microsoft Outlook Goes Offline, Foreign-Owned Social Control Media Interfering With Fair Elections
Links for the day
According to statCounter, Windows Falls Off a Cliff in Maharlika, GNU/Linux Surges to 5%
But mobile is king
New Video Clip of Richard Stallman's Latest Visit to and Talks in Italy
Richard Stallman or RMS giving his latest talk last week
Windows Used by Only One in Six Asians to Access the Web, According to statCounter
maybe more governments in Asia should move away from Microsoft
GNU/Linux Reaches 5% in Brazil, an All-Time High According to statCounter
There are hundreds of millions of people in that country
Google Already Dominates the Global South (via Android/Linux)
If one puts aside Russia and east Europe, not many countries exist that still connect to the Web from Windows more than from Android
GNU/Linux Widespread in Finland, Sweden, and Norway
Sweden has many Chromebooks in schools3 nations
Germany's Incoming Leader Said He'd Seek More Independence from the US, GNU/Linux Soars to 6%
Last month it was 5%
For the First Time GNU/Linux is Measured at Over 4% in Europe (Not Counting ChromeOS/Chromebooks)
Europe, on average, is now estimated to have GNU/Linux on 1 in 25 Web-connected laptops/desktops
Over 2 Years of LLM Hype and Nothing to Show for It
People still use search, not chatbots
Apple's iOS Almost Bigger Than Windows Now (Internationally), Windows Falls to 22% According to statCounter
Without Windows domination, there's not much left going for Microsoft
Putin's Loyal DOGE
We hereby crown Arvind Krishna "Putin's DOGE"
The Media Barely Reported This (Late Friday): IBM Lays Off About 2,000 More Workers, Effective Hours Ago
Maybe some diversity programs can help IBM recruit slaves or grossly-underpaid staff
Microsoft Money Being Spent to Bully Techrights Only Legitimises Techrights
The longer it goes on for, the greater the Streisand Effect
Suing One's Way Out of Real Trouble Won't Work (It Merely Increases the Trouble)
"Guns for hire" in London can only issue "legal" threats
Microsoft Writing Articles About Microsoft, Using Microsoft LLMs
Right now there are many articles about Microsoft Outlook being down completely
Gemini Links 02/03/2025: OFFLFIRSOCH 2025 and Programming
Links for the day
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Saturday, March 01, 2025
IRC logs for Saturday, March 01, 2025