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EPO examiners take the streets in Brussels asking to "Save the EPO"
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| On Thursday, 18 September 2008, staff members of the European Patent Office
| (EPO) demonstrated in Brussels for a reform of its supervisory board.
| Examiners are complaining about the broken governance of the Institution.
| Examiners do not trust neither members of the Administrative Council, neither
| their President Brimelow. A patent examiner confessed that most of them were
| against software patents but as civil servants they were not allowed to speak
| out publicly about their concerns.
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http://stopsoftwarepatents.org/forum/t-90354/epo-examiners-take-the-streets-in-brussels-asking-to-save-the-epo
Strikes and Demonstrations of EPO Staff
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| The EPO staff are trying to make their voice heard by a series of actions
| against the undermining of the European Patent Organisation by its governing
| body and management (see below). In particular, on September 18th, a strike
| of EPO staff was observed by the vast majority at all four sites of
| employment, over 250 of whom travelled to Brussels to take part in a
| demonstration. The demonstration route went from Square Frère Orban to the
| Berlaymont, the seat of the European Commission. On the way, a petition was
| delivered at the German and British embassies (and subsequently also to the
| French embassy). At the Berlaymont, the seat of European Commission, speeches
| were held by the SUEPO chairmen as well as by Sylvie Jacobs, Vice-President
| of USF. On September 19th, a SUEPO delegation has further been invited to
| discuss their concerns with the European Commission.
`----
http://www.suepo.org/public/
More photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/quarsan/2867429759
Recent:
European Patent Office staff to demonstrate for reforms
,----[ Quote ]
| The international Staff Union of the European Patent Office (SUEPO) has
| called on the staff of the office to strike on Thursday 18th of September,
| and to demonstrate in Brussels for a reform of its supervisory board. The
| strike and demonstration are timed to coincide with meeting in the Belgian
| capital of the executive of the patent office, under its president Alison
| Brimelow, to seek approaches to a "strategic renovation". The employee
| representatives expect around 300 staff members from the patent offices in
| Munich, Berlin, The Hague and Vienna to attend the protest rally.
`----
http://www.heise.de/english/newsticker/news/115940
EPO examiners do not trust Brimelow for her quality reforms
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| According to an EPO internal staff survey of June 2008, only 9% of the EPO
| examiners believes that "Brimelow and the Vice-Presidents actively promote
| patent quality". Brimelow is progressing, since Alain Pompidou, the former
| President, had a trust of only 7%.
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http://stopsoftwarepatents.org/forum/t-89228/epo-examiners-do-not-trust-brimelow-for-her-quality-reforms
Intellectual Property Regime Stifles Science and Innovation, Nobel Laureates
Say
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| Patent monopolies are believed to drive innovation but they actually impede
| the pace of science and innovation, Stiglitz said. The current “patent
| thicket,” in which anyone who writes a successful software programme is sued
| for alleged patent infringement, highlights the current IP system’s failure
| to encourage innovation, he said.
|
| Another problem is that the social returns from innovation do not accord with
| the private returns associated with the patent system, Stiglitz said. The
| marginal benefit from innovation is that an idea may become available sooner
| than it might have. But the person who secures the patent on it wins a
| long-term monopoly, creating a gap between private and social returns.
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http://www.ip-watch.org/weblog/index.php?p=1129
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