Re: Fall in patent quality?
Could you, and also the 17 who upvoted you, clarify your issues with patent quality and EPO? In my line of work I have not found prosecuting applications before the EPO to be a mere formality. Statistics, which is available from epo.org, indicates that only about 50 % of all applications are granted. Also, about 5 % of granted patents are opposed.
To be hired as an Examiner at the EPO you need to speak English and German and French. You also need minimum of a Master degree and many also have a PhD. This means applications are examined by people who know the field and have the technical and linguistic skills to find documents that are relevant. In my experience EPO Examiners are better in this than USPTO Examiners.
And I am not sure how rubber stamping will improve things. So I am intrigued to see your reasoning.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
