04/05/2015
Promise of union recognition insufficient to solve conflict at European Patent Office
FOSS Patents reports on the protests which continue at the EPO despite the promise of union recognition.The article also cites a SUEPO flyer titled A Brave New EPO explaining some key underlying issues behindthe governance crisis at the EPO:
"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."