EPO

General Introduction
The European Patent Office (EPO) has been granting Software Patents in Europe|software patents all across Europe despite the law (as per the EPC) explicitly forbidding it. The profit motive ultimately compromised patent quality; the problem was obscured by publishers like IAM but repeatedly stressed by SUEPO, the Staff Union of the EPO. There were even more mischievous practices going on, especially after the EPO's former head, Alison Brimelow, got replaced by a megalomaniac called Benoît Battistelli (now in CEIPI), who gradually drove away anything or anyone who threatened his undemocratic ambition of total power. He was helped by Jesper Kongstad, Christoph Ernst, Raimund Lutz, and Željko Topić. There was a culture of blatant nepotism (e.g. Elodie Bergot) and disrespect for courts, e.g. Willy (Guillaume) Minnoye stating intent to ignore (disobey) court rulings. He even rejected ILO rulings and sought an unconstitutional court, the UPC, promoted by big litigators such as Bristows LLP. Battistelli chose António Campinos, a French dual national (born in France) from EUIPO, as his successor (soon joined by former colleague Nellie Simon and Stephen Rowan from UKIPO). Both block Techrights at all EPO sites, not just in Germany, in order to prevent staff from accessing facts; IP Kat was also temporarily blocked (until it stopped exposing EPO abuses). EPO problems persist to date, but European media is reluctant to mention these.Articles Index
We've archived older articles in the following pages: EPO 2022 Archive | EPO 2021 Archive | EPO 2020 Archive | EPO 2019 Archive | EPO 2018 Archive | EPO 2017 Archive | EPO 2016 Archive | EPO 2015 Archive | EPO 2008-2014 ArchiveIn recent years Techrights wrote about the EPO in the below long and short posts, organised chronologically, with addition of the following colour coding for improved organisation based on theme:
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Scope |
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Repression |
Labour |
Above the law |
Credibility |
<span style="background-color: #ddddff;">Software (abstract) patents</span> |
<span style="background-color: #cceeff;">Institutional abuse</span> |
<span style="background-color: #ffaaff;">Staff deaths/suicides</span> |
<span style="background-color: #ddffbb;">Ignoring court orders or due process</span> |
<span style="background-color: #ccffbb;">Budgetary issues</span> |
<span style="background-color: #bbbbcc;">Patents on life</span> |
<span style="background-color: #aaeeff;">Censorship/Gagging</span> |
<span style="background-color: #99ffff;">Crushing protests</span> |
<span style="background-color: #dafada;">Crushing oversight or other branches</span> |
<span style="background-color: #99ccaa;">Reputation issues (EU)</span> |
<span style="background-color: #eebbcc;">Patent maximalism/UPC</span> |
<span style="background-color: #eedddd;">DDOS</span> |
<span style="background-color: #eeddaa;">Union-busting</span> |
<span style="background-color: #bbffdd;">Character assassination/Defamation</span> |
<span style="background-color: #bbffa1;">Favouritism/Nepotism</span> |
<span style="background-color: #cccc99;">Patent trolls</span> |
<span style="background-color: #dadada;">Legal bullying</span> |
<span style="background-color: #eeffaa;">Abolishing workers' rights</span> |
<span style="background-color: #ccffee;">Propaganda/Misinformation/Paying the media</span> |
<span style="background-color: #bbd1ff;">Conflict of interest/Dubious connections</span> |
<span style="background-color: #55ddbb;">Systemic synthesis</span> |
<span style="background-color: #ffddbb;">Illegal surveillance</span> |
<span style="background-color: #ffaa88;">State within a state</span> |
<span style="background-color: #ccd1ee;">Alleged bribery</span> |
<span style="background-color: #11ffaa;">Organisational crisis</span> |
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2023 Articles (Latest First)
For an outline of recent events, see EPO in 2021.Aigust 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
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Older articles: