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Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Next Sunday Ms Brimelow Will Take Office as President Of EPO: "It Will Be A Turbulent Time".

From an

interview with Ms Brimelow on

Managing Intellectual Property MIP (reg. req'd):

"[...] The third priority for Brimelow is managing the EPO as businesses and individuals are applying for more patents than ever before. She refers to the problem of ever-increasing demand for patents as a 'global warming' of the IP system and says it will be a 'turbulent time'.

'My priorities are to make the EPO fit for the future and shape the future, whichever one of those you want to put first ... I've been quoting Lord Salisbury recently, who once said: 'Change? Why change? Things are quite bad enough as there are.' There is a tendency to think 'for goodness sake, why do you want to change anything?'. But the answer is, because things will be even worse if you don't.' [...]"

Surely the style of governance to be performed by Ms Brimelow might well be somewhat different from that of the outgoing President, Mr. Pompidou, I guess.

Her usage of the language of a "global warming of the IP system" appears be well-suited to support speculations that Ms Brimelow might, amongst many others, be supporting a future policy of "fewer, but better" patents or at least something like that.

In the interview Ms Brimelow also asserts that one of her first priorities on taking up the presidency will be to

improve relations between managers and examiners. Furthermore, also the question as to how the EPO can work effectively with national offices will be in the focus during her term of office.

I can only wish her good luck for those difficult tasks.

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