Bodyguards are the brake cutilting isn't a bad idea for him. The sooner he goes the better but I think he'll hang onto the bitter end cause he's never going to get another gig like this one.
King Battistelli's swish penthouse office the Euro Patent Office doesn't want you to see
Very few people have seen the 10th floor of the European Patent Office's ISAR building in Munich since it's been renovated – and for good reason. Although hundreds of staff once worked on that floor, EPO president Benoit Battistelli decided that – at the same time the patent office budgeted €205m to construct an entirely new …
COMMENTS
-
-
-
Wednesday 22nd March 2017 18:27 GMT Uffish
Being a technocratic placeman...
... is not a good career choice for being elected President of France; he might try for Mayor of Saint-Germain-en-Laye I suppose. Probably, if he succeeds in getting his successors well and truly hog-tied with red-tape and oversight, he will enjoy a peaceful retirement and the thanks of a grateful nation.
-
-
-
Wednesday 22nd March 2017 08:53 GMT Brenda McViking
Well I think the Americans should learn from this glorious leader's actions - if they can make the USPO as ineffectual as the EPO with just one man at the top, then the rest of us in industry wouldn't have to keep worrying about whether stuff with milleniums' worth of prior art was patentable - after all, you cannot patent "slide to unlock" when everyone at the patent office is out on strike over the content of the last royal decree!
-
Wednesday 22nd March 2017 08:55 GMT Anonymous Coward
Normal For Munich
Most of what is in the photographs is pretty normal by Munich corporate standards. Despite the Oktoberfest, it isn't all about beer in that city.
Some of that space is used for "official" entertaining.
By all accounts, Battistelli is vile, but better not to over-egg stories like this, lest the hyperbole swamps the apparently entirely justified criticism.
-
-
Wednesday 22nd March 2017 11:12 GMT Uberseehandel
Re: Normal For Munich
The space is not solely for the exclusive use of Battistelli, it also has a conference room, and a hospitality suite. I have no truck with the man's behaviour, he is vile. The board of the EPO is demonstrably incompetent as their ineffectual attempts to rein-in or dispense with the man demonstrate.
Transparency is a relative concept, in much of the world. in this case, some photographs got out, that is pretty transparent by some standards.
-
Thursday 23rd March 2017 08:43 GMT Anonymous Coward
Re: Normal For Munich
I would argue that a whole floor for "president suite" is excessive,
Standard corporate practice if there is an issue with "C-suite security". You can very easily secure a floor in any building by adding key-card access to the lift. Securing a section of the floor instead is significantly more difficult and quite often more expensive. This prevents unfortunate incidents when the CEO or CTO needs to call an ambulance because he is missing some teeth.
EPO is not alone here, I can think of AT LEAST one major Silicon valley company which has had to introduce similar arrangements.
-
Wednesday 22nd March 2017 09:55 GMT Schultz
"pretty normal by Munich corporate standards"
Except that it's not corporate money paying for this. The patent office is ultimately a body created by the national governments and it might be reasonable to expect it to follow the rough expectations we have for government spending. After all, it's not like you could just spend you patent money elsewhere if you want to avoid paying the EPO.
But then, they seem to have an "annual budget of around EUR 2bn [...] financed entirely from procedural and renewal fees for European patents. So what is a few millions here and there.
-
Wednesday 22nd March 2017 15:21 GMT Nolveys
Re: "pretty normal by Munich corporate standards"
it might be reasonable to expect it to follow the rough expectations we have for government spending.
Stuff like this is exactly what I expect when it comes to government spending. Oh well, it's just tax money, there's an infinite quantity of it.
-
-
-
-
Wednesday 22nd March 2017 10:00 GMT Pen-y-gors
The real culprits
Clearly any reasonable person would agree that the evidence revealed to date of King B's behaviour means that he should have been out on his arse a while ago, and subsequent detailed audits may reveal other action that needs to follow.
However, the big question is why he isn't. There have been several attempts to remove him which have been blocked by various national politicians. Why? Who has what on who? Cui bono? Europol must be good for something.
-
Wednesday 22nd March 2017 14:31 GMT Antron Argaiv
Re: The real culprits
However, the big question is why he isn't. There have been several attempts to remove him which have been blocked by various national politicians. Why?
"One hand washes the other, and they both wash the face."
It's the old boys' club mentality.
// No torches and pitchforks icon?
// how about a guillotine icon?
-
Wednesday 22nd March 2017 11:04 GMT ChrisJC
Sounds like a kick up the bottom is required to rattle the Euro Bureaucracy into touch, perhaps a nation deciding that enough is enough.......
I am sure there are a few Greek or Spanish or Italian unemployed that would have a differing view on spending priorities. Austerity for the King?!
Chris.
-
Wednesday 22nd March 2017 14:59 GMT Anonymous Coward
"few Greek or Spanish or Italian unemployed"
There's a reason why Battistelli last name looks to have an Italian origin, or something like that. Not a little percentage of unemployed people would like to live out of someone else money like Battistelli does, with no accountability. It's one of the reasons Italy and Greece are in the actual situation...
-
Wednesday 22nd March 2017 16:23 GMT Tom 38
Re: "few Greek or Spanish or Italian unemployed"
There's a reason why Battistelli last name looks to have an Italian origin, or something like that. Not a little percentage of unemployed people would like to live out of someone else money like Battistelli does
Nice bit of casual national stereotyping. Unfortunately, he's actually French, so we need to think of him as a beret wearing, cheese eating surrender monkey. Probably smells of garlic.
-
Wednesday 22nd March 2017 18:04 GMT Anonymous Coward
Re: "few Greek or Spanish or Italian unemployed"
I'm Italian so I can stereotype Italians. He's French, but his last name has a big chance of being of Italian origin.
And I very well know how many Italians live of subsidies they commit fraud to obtain. There was exactly the other day an editorial on Corriere della Sera, one of the main Italian newspapers, on the issue. The issue was one of those evidenced in the 'spending review' of Carlo Cottarelli, now executive director at IMF.
Do not believe all 'common people' are different from guys like Battistelli.
-
-
-
Wednesday 22nd March 2017 11:30 GMT DropBear
I'm all for tarring this guy at the first opportunity (and how the expense gets justified is certainly a legitimate question), but in this case I don't really see any Olympic pool sized jacuzzis with golden faucets - sure a bit flashy but nothing that would be out of place in any top level management bod's office. Okay, sure, this is a public institution but it's not like anybody has ever seen any high ranking "public servant" sitting on a wooden bench (or an IKEA chair for that matter) at work...
-
Wednesday 22nd March 2017 16:33 GMT Anonymous Coward
I'm starting to understand the Brexit vote
If EU governance is so dysfunctional they can't get rid of a guy like this after all this time, I wouldn't want to have anything to do with it either. At least us yanks voted for our "king", and we'll probably be rid of him before this fool is gone.
-
Wednesday 22nd March 2017 17:48 GMT Anonymous Coward
Re: I'm starting to understand the Brexit vote
Well that's why the US is better then the EU, at least you get some say.
Had this happened in the States he would of been ousted a long time ago.
Its by no means perfect, your last election was between a flaming piece of shit and a war criminal, and sensibly most Americans took the logical step and just stayed home.
But if anything it just means that western nations really need to think about implementing a "None Of The Above" option on votes, meaning that if the people dont like what they see and "NOTA" wins, they start again with with new candidates.... and the old ones are shot into the sea via catapult, trebuchet or other medieval means of propulsion... okay.. okay I know you Americans prefer Canon's its not a sticking point with me..
-
Wednesday 22nd March 2017 17:59 GMT Bronek Kozicki
Re: I'm starting to understand the Brexit vote
EU governance is not too dissimilar IMO, however you need to remember that EPO is not governed by EU. Instead it is an organ (one of two) of European Patent Organization, which is an international organization not bound to EU (and few of its members are not EU states). The other organ is Administrative Council of EPO, and this is where responsibility for keeping (or removing) Battistelli is.
-
Wednesday 22nd March 2017 18:31 GMT Anonymous Coward
Re: I'm starting to understand the Brexit vote
No what it is is a bureaucratic wet dream, where funding appears to come from everywhere.
Responsibility is off in a far flung distant land, and even if you get there its a leper colony no one want to touch, you know like most Quango's, where political classes go to cum in everyone faces with no fear of reprisals.
-
Wednesday 22nd March 2017 20:03 GMT Anonymous Coward
Re: I'm starting to understand the Brexit vote
That is an oversimplification.
The EU has observer status on the Administrative Council.
28 (or 27 post-Brexit) of the EPO member states are also EU states.
Thus if the EU states took a common line they could command almost three quarter majority on the Council.
The EPO is also being used by the EU to administrate the Unitary Patent.
So it's way too easy to say that the EU has no role or responsibility for this mess.
-
-