[Patents] libel on EPO mailing list?

[PILCH Hartmut phm@a2e.de]

The EPO's English language mailing list has normally very little traffic.
Yesterday it contained a posting that accused the EPO vice president of
secretely reserving posts to a personal friend.

Today the EPO reacted by turning the mailing list into a moderated list in
order to "protect our staff from such anonymous attacks".

To me it seems unclear whether the attack was really anonymous.  At least
hkonrad@patentmail.com was mentioned as the author, and the fact that the
mail came from an anonymous address could just mean that hkonrad was
visiting an Internet Cafe.

The Internet necessarily brings with it a flood of low-value information,
including libel, and people are becoming used to that.  The term "libel"
itself somewhat changes in meaning.  It meant very much in earlier times,
where few people had access to mass dissemination media and this access
looked like a proof of credibility -- if it is printed in a newspaper
black on whicht it must be true.  We may have to rethink libel just as we
have to rethink patents.  

It is also quite clear to me that the tolerance toward differing opinions
can sink to very low levels in patent offices.  Several people I know of
are harboring strong dissent with the policy of their patent office and
keeping it all to themselves because they are afraid to lose their
job.  Some have even become drunkards under the psychological pressure.
Although I would hope that people show more courage, I can't really
harshly blame them if they choose anonymous libel.

It would however be nice to get more information from
hkonrad@patentmail.com.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 2 Oct 2000 13:24:23 -0500
From: No User <no.user@anon.xg.nu>
To: epo@mlist.austria.eu.net

Date: 18 Sep 2000 11:14:24

Subject: Job Posting - EPO internals: Save your time.

Information regarding a post currently advertised at the Vienna sub-office
(see http://www.european-patent-office.org/epo/jobs/ext_1010htm).

If you plan to apply for the job you can save your time. According to
well informed circles at the EPO this post is foreseen for a friend of
Mr. Schatz, Vice-President of the EPO. It was reported that he has given
clear instructions to the head of the Vienna sub-office to take care of
the success of his candidate.

The recruitment procedure was already unsuccessful twice because the
candidate did not have the "desirable qualifications" (lack of language
skills). This is the third attempt.

H. Konrad
hkonrad@patentmail.com