This document provides a non-exhaustive list of some articles, blog posts or videos published in October 2016 (sorted in reverse chronological order, not necessarily by relevance). Latest additions are highlighted in yellow:

• “Situation à l’Office Européen des Brevets : il n’est plus raisonnable d’attendre” (Jean-Yves Leconte, 24.10.2016)
• “Office européen des brevets : immunité ne veut pas dire impunité.” Trop c’est trop. Battistelli doit partir (Philip Cordery, 11.10.2016). Translations are available in English, German and Dutch.
• “EPO Staff Welcome Withdrawal Of Unpopular Disciplinary Proposals” (IP WATCH, 18.10.2016).
• “Parliamentary questions - Subject:  Situation of staff working for the European Patent Office” (European Parliament, 26.09.2016).
• “Europäisches Patentamt: BGH-Richter geht in neuen Beschwerdekammer-Ausschuss” (JUVE, 14.10.2016).
• “EPO: εργασιακός μεσαίωνας με πατέντα” - EPO: Patented medieval working conditions (efsyn.gr, 15.10.2016).
• “Euro Patent Office staff demand new rights to deal with terrifying boss” (The Register, 14 October 2016). Translations are available in German and French.
• “Crise ouverte à l’Office européen des brevets” (Le Monde, 11 Octobre 2016). Translations are available in English and German.
• “EPO Staff Seek WIPO-Style Disciplinary Guidelines As Reports Show High Levels Of Discontent” (Intellectual Property Watch, 11 October 2016). Translations are available in German and French.

On 11 October Mr Battistelli will hold his much publicised (yet another “first in the history of the Office”) Social Conference where he will be trumpeting his achievements just before the meeting of the Administrative Council on 12/13 October. Meanwhile, the attacks against SUEPO officials are continuing in The Hague with three investigations/disciplinary proceedings. SUEPO organises a demonstration on Tuesday 11 October in Munich in front of the EPO Isar building starting at 12.30h, and on Thursday 13 October in The Hague.

This document provides a non-exhaustive list of some articles, blog posts or videos published in July 2016 (sorted in reverse chronological order, not necessarily by relevance). Latest additions are highlighted in yellow. You may also want to access the list of articles for July 2016:

• [Video] “Plusminus” (from 14’35’’ onwards, Das Erste, 17 August 2016): on the Unitary Patent.
• “Editorial - Something is rotten in the state of the EPO” (Journal of Intellectual Property Law and Practice, 13 August 2016). Translations are available (DE, FR).
• “AMBA Statement on the Current Situation” (Association of the Members of the Boards of Appeal, 11 August 2016). Translations are available (DE, FR).
• “Umzugspläne - Paris, London, Haar” (Süddeutsche Zeitung, 11 August 2016).
• “Europäisches Patentamt plant angeblich Umzug nach Haar” (Süddeutsche Zeitung, 11 August 2016). Translations are available (EN, FR).

The London-based lawyers, Bretton Woods Law, specialise in the Rule of Law, International Human Rights law and International Administrative Law.

At the request of SUEPO, Bretton Woods Law produced a legal opinion concerning the actions of the President of the EPO, and the responsibility of the Administrative Council as well as the Member States of the EPO with respect to staff.

In an Annex to the above document a number of the reforms are considered in the light of basic legal and democratic standards in Europe.

This document provides a non-exhaustive list of some articles, blog posts or videos published in July 2016 (sorted in reverse chronological order, not necessarily by relevance). Latest additions are highlighted in yellow. You may also want to access the list of articles for June 2016 or August 2016.

• “Mon courrier à Jean-Yves Le Déaut, suite au déplacement d’une délégation de l’OPECST au siège de l’OEB à La Haye” (Jean-Yves Leconte, 20 July 2016). Translations are available (EN, DE, NL).
• “EPO – Structural Reform of the Boards of Appeal of the EPO” (EPLAW Patent blog, 27 July 2016).
• “AMBA Statement on the Reform of the BoA” (AMBA, 15 July 2016).
• “Special Report: Union Lawsuit Claims EPO Has Prevented It From Functioning; Office Claims Immunity” (IP-Watch, 11 July 2016).
• “EU-Patent steht auf der Kippe” (BR, 8 July 2016).
• “Europäisches Patentgericht vor dem Aus” (FinanzNachrichten.de, 6 July 2016).
• “EPO – Structural Reform of the Boards of Appeal of the EPO” (EPLAW, 1 July 2016).
• “European Patent Office palace coup bombs  - Administrative Council leaves staff frustrated” (The Register, 1 July 2016).

The USF issued a Communiqué on 20 July 2016 in which they reproduce an open letter (EN, FR) sent to Mr Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission about the Barroso case.

The USF published an article entitled “WIPO - Stop union-busting and stop retaliation against whistleblowers” (EN, FR).

This document provides a non-exhaustive list of some articles, blog posts or videos published in June 2016 (sorted in reverse chronological order, not necessarily by relevance). Latest additions are highlighted in yellow. You may also want to access the list of articles for May 2016 or July 2016.

• “Vakbond wil opheffing immuniteit Battistelli” (NRC, 29 June 2016). Translations are available in English, French and German.
• “A l'Office européen des brevets, un patron français sème la culture antisyndicale” (Libération, 28 June 2016). Translations are available in English and German.
• “EPA-Streit: Richter fühlen sich von Amtschef Battistelli bedroht” (JUVE, 28 June 2016). Translations are available in English and French.
• “EPO – EBA complains undue pressure exercised by the President of the Office in proceedings on the request to remove a member of the Boards of Appeal from office” (EPLAW, 24 June 2016).
• “Nazi witch-hunt ends with fierce judgment” (The Register, 24 June 2016). Translations are available in French and German.
• “CIPA response to proposals for reform of the EPO Boards of Appeal” (CIPA, 23 June 2016).
• “Enlarged Board publishes decision: EPO President violated judicial independence” (IPKAT, 23 June 2016). A translation is available in French.
• “Open letter from EPO staff pleads with country reps to fire president” (The Register, 22 June 2016). Translations are available in French and German.
• “Scary Figures Call for Action by the EPO” (Kluwer Patent Blog, 19 June 2016).
• “EPO president caught threatening independent appeal board” (The Register, 15 June 2016). Translations are available in French and German.
• “Eklat am EPA: Battistelli greift in Amtsenthebungsverfahren ein” (JUVE, 15 June 2016). Translations are available in English and French.
• “High how will the ball bounce?” (IP - non credere, 15 June 2016): analysis of B1 publications (granted patents) of the EPO.
• “Procedure to remove Board of Appeal member from office ends - after reports of attempts to nobble the Enlarged Board” (IPKAT, 14 June 2016).
• “The European Inventor Award Is Like Eurovision for Hot Patent Talent” (Motherboard, 14 June 2016).
• “EPO – Structural Reform of the Boards of Appeal of the EPO (BoA)” (EPLAW, 13 June 2016).
• “Privéoorlog topman en bond octrooibureau nog niet voorbij” (NRC, 9 June 2016). Translations are available in English, French and German.
• “The EPO's plans to restrict post-service employment” (IPKAT, 7 June 2016).
• “European Patent Office blocks staff reading critical articles at work” (The Register, 7 June 2016). In the meantime, access to the IPKAT has been restored within the EPO.
• “But is it appealing?” (IP - non credere, 7 June 2016): analysis of the increase in appeal fees on the number of appeals filed before the Boards of Appeal.
• “Ënnerstëtzt Lëtzebuerg weiderhin den aktuellen, staark ëmstriddenen EPO-President?” (Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party, 3 June 2016). Scroll down to read the parliamentary question in French of Claudia Dall’Agnol, Member of Parliament. Translations are provided in English, German and Dutch.
• “MdL Susann Biedefeld kritisiert Verhalten des Europäischen Patentamts gegenüber Arbeitnehmerinnnen und Arbeitnehmern aufs Schärfste” (2 June 2016).
• “EPO accused of decreasing power of boards of appeal” (WIPR, 2 June 2016).
• [Video] “MdL Susann Biedefeld kritisiert Verhalten des Europäischen Patentamts” (intervention of Susann Biedefeld in the Bavarian Parliament, 1 June 2016).
• “Schmidt/FREIE WÄHLER: Mitarbeiter-Schikane beim Europäischen Patentamt stoppen” (Presse Portal, 1 June 2016). Translations are available in English and French.
• “FREIE WÄHLER setzen sich im Landtag weiter gegen Mitarbeiter-Schikane beim Europäischen Patentamt ein / Schmidt: EPA-Mitarbeiter brauchen dringend Hilfe” (Bundes Presse Portal, 1 June 2016).
• “Leak: Euro Patent Office 'court of appeals' rails against King Battistelli” (The Register, 1 June 2016). Translations are available in French and German.

Last week is not one upon which President Battistelli will look back with undiluted pleasure.

First, the Enlarged Board of Appeal decided to close the proceedings concerning the Judge accused of misconduct and in so doing not recommend his release from office. Following public accusations coming allegedly from the Office, the accused had requested a public hearing to clear his name. Although the Enlarged Board had granted his request, Mr Battistelli apparently did not like this turn of events and tried to forbid both the public hearing and the open questioning of key witnesses. You can read publications about this scandal in Juve, The Register and in IPKAT (which also provides a link to the full text of the EBoA judgment).

Then second, SUEPO and SUEPO-TH once again summoned the EPO before the Dutch Court. With this lawsuit, the unions complain of both severe union harassment and non-compliance with the Council’s resolution CA/26/16, as reflected in their claims (translations available: DE, FR). On 21 June, a bailiff tried to serve the summons in person on the EPO in Rijswijk, but the EPO refused to accept the papers. Unfortunately for President Battistelli, this does not stop the law from taking due course: the summons is nonetheless considered as served and the package was in any case delivered to the Office by registered mail the following day.  The court has set the date and venue for the hearing: 15 July at 9 am in the district court of The Hague. Apparently, despite being given fair notice, the President had not even bothered to alert the Council on this issue. We assume he must have been too busy, so our lawyer has done this service for him…

To summarise: nobbling of EBoA judges and attempts to pervert the course of justice; harassment of unions and of their leaders; contempt for the legal authorities of a host state. The picture that is emerging is of a deranged man who either has misunderstood the concept of “rule of law” or is willfully putting himself above it.  Should an organization that delivers juridical products and services for the European public be seen to be led by such a figure?

Quo usque tandem abutere, Benedicte, patientia nostra?

SUEPO Central

SUEPO organises on Wednesday 29 June 2016 a demonstration in Munich in front of the EPO Isar building starting at 12.30h.