24/03/2015
This week's EPO Administrative Council meeting: revolution unlikely, progress badly needed
FOSS Patents comments on the issues at stake for the Administrative Council meeting of 25 and 26 March 2015.These are also addressed in the SUEPO flyer announcing the coming demonstration. Florian Mueller analyses the governance crisis as follows:
"The national government delegates on the AC have reasons for backing Mr. Battistelli's controversial decisions and plans.The EPO is, indirectly, a cash cow for national patent offices (through renewal fees).Germany alone receives about 140 million euros per year in annual renewal fees for the German parts of patents granted by the EPO.National patent offices are given lucrative opportunities in the form of cooperation projects with the EPO, which the president controls.And AC members have frequently been (and some current AC members are rumored to be) given high-level posts at the EPO, where they usually get a much bigger paycheck than at home.More than enough reasons to favor stability over everything else.