More gossip on the EPO presidential election (fwd)

[PILCH Hartmut <phm@a2e.de>]

This writer seems to be quite well aware of the relations between EU and
EPO.  Note that EPO, backed by national governments (patent offices) in
its Administrative Council and megacorp patent lawyers on its Standing
Advisory Committee (SACEPO), feels very strong and is pushing the European
Commission around, offering it the chance of joining the EPO and learning.
As a reward, they get the missing flying license for software patents from
the EU.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 26 Mar 2003 18:46:58 -0500 (EST)
From: Gregory Aharonian <srctran@world.std.com>
To: epo@mlist.austria.eu.net
Subject: More gossip on the EPO presidential election



Hi Greg,

Yes I've been following this too, from my sources both inside and outside
the EPO. There were strong rumours about a few late runners. Maybe they
were just too late and had to be held over to a next round by forcing a
hung vote at this council meeting. The rumour is that a strong EU
candidate will be pushed into the hot seat to improve the rather cool
relationship between the EPO and the commission. Karel van Mieert's name
as been mentioned. He was the competition commissioner at the EU and very
well respected. Such a candidate would be just what was needed to pave
the way for the EU to join the EPO, which is the most probable next step
towards the community patent.


                              ====================

Greg Aharonian
Internet Patent News Service
patnews@patenting-art.com
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