Explanations can be found in the publication available here.
Explanations can be found in the publication available here.
A report on the meeting can be found here.
This paper discusses the cases that have broader relevance and the overall implications.
"It's unfortunately true that the EPO, claiming immunity, behaves like an enclave that doesn't have to respect European/EU human rights and labor law standards." [...] "While I don't think Mr Battistelli's resignation would in and of itself represent a solution, I also don't feel he's unreplaceable. The Administrative Council should have decided to take the mediation route anyway and should simply have accepted his resignation.
"The stated reasons for certain reform measures are based on the nonsensical notion that the EPO "competes" with the USPTO, JPO, SIPO and other non-European patent offices. If it competes with anyone, it's with national patent offices, but national patent systems control the EPO through the Administrative Council and milk it (through high renewal fees that have an almost 100% gross margin for national patent systems)."
"Two-thirds of the applications filed at the EPO are not of European origin and thus are more likely to hinder European industry than benefit it. A flood of badly examined patents could affect in particular the small and medium-sized enterprises that cannot afford expensive litigation."
Mr Kongstad and Mr Battistelli called for a renewed social dialogue. Mr Kongstad and Battistelli "consider in particular that the formal recognition of the trade unions within the EPO’s legal framework could create the conditions to re-launch the process and to overcome some longstanding issues."
SUEPO obviously applauds the initiative to recognise a Union that represents half of the personnel of the EPO. This was indeed long overdue. However, we fail to see how Union recognition could solve any of the more urgent outstanding problems.
The next demonstration targets the Dutch consulate (see SUEPO flyer).
In a later post, IPKat simulates an interview between a patent attorney and his client trying to understand whether he/she should opt for the Unitary Patent.
"the highly educated specialists of the EPO have been so frustrated about the consistent erosion of their ability to do a good job that they have been out demonstrating in Munich, where the EPO has its headquarters. The most recent demonstrations ended at the Danish consulate in Munich" [...] "There will no longer be even one independent instance for a company that fails to get its European application approved. That amounts to serious prejudicing of rights!"
"It is now being suggested quite seriously in professional patent advisory circles that clients should be advised to avoid the EPO (and thus the unitary patent) entirely and apply nationally, the way things were done long ago, before 1978."
A translation in English is available by scrolling through the document.
Translations in English, French and German are available by scrolling through the document.
A report on the meeting can be found here.