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Monday, July 23, 2007

Another Interview With Ms Alison Brimelow, President Of EPO.

Ms Alison Brimelow has given another

interview which has been published on the

Internet platform of the German weekly WirtschaftsWoche. The interview starts with a discussion of the huge backlog of patent application in the order of approximately 200,000 files pending, and Ms Brimelow is worried about certain consequences thereof:

"[...] Wenn Unternehmen Geld machen können auf der Basis von Patenten, die noch nicht erteilt worden sind, wird ihre Wertschätzung für Patente drastisch sinken. Das könnte unangenehme Konsequenzen für das globale System haben.[...]"

I would like to offer my own translation as follows:

"[...] The esteem of patents by companies will slump if they can make money on the basis of patents not yet granted. This might have unpleasant consequences for the global system. [...]"

Furthermore, Ms Brimelow argues with regard to the situation of SMEs under the current patent system:

"[...] Je größer die finanziellen Ressourcen eines Unternehmens sind, desto leichter fällt es ihm mitzuspielen. Ich mache mir ernste Sorgen über die Konsequenzen für kleine und mittelgroße Betriebe. Ich habe kürzlich ein britisches Telekomunternehmen besucht. Es hatte eine kleine Zahl von Patenten angemeldet aus dem einzigen Grund, um so zum unumgänglichen Gesprächspartner für einige Konkurrenzunternehmen zu werden. Die Manager sprachen sehr deutlich davon, dass es für sie mit ihrem Budget sehr schwierig sei, eine solche Art von Spiel mitzuspielen. Größere Unternehmen tun sich da leichter. Dieses Ungleichgewicht beunruhigt mich. [...] Manche der großen Unternehmen sagen auch, dass sie Zweifel haben, ob es immer so weitergehen kann. Wir sind an einem Punkt angekommen, an dem wir darüber diskutieren müssen, wie wir aus der problematischen Situation wieder herauskommen. [...]"

Again my translation:

"[...] The larger the financial ressources of a company are, the easier it is for them to participate in the game. I am seriously worried about the consequences for SMEs. Recently I have visited a British telecom company. They had filed for a small number of patents solely in order to become a dialogue partner for competitors that cannot be by-passed. The managers explicitly stated that with their budget it is very difficult to participate in this kind of a game. It is easier for bigger companies. This imbalance worries me. [...] Some of the big companies also say that they are in doubt continuing this way further. We have reached a point where we have to discuss how to get out of the problematic situation. [...]"

And, at the end of the interview, Ms Brimelow argues that shorter product cycles on the markets might cause that less patents get a renewal by their respective holders, causing a shortfall of income for the beneficiaries of the patent renewal fees. This might cause problems in about a century, she said.

It is hardly conceivable that any of Ms Brimelow's predecessors in Office might have given such kind of an interview before. Times are changing.

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Agreed, but based on Ms Brimelow's track record, it is also hardly conceivable that she could have given any other kind of answer than challenging ones. Ms Brimelow's intellect is a storming force of nature, yet she is the beloved daughter of a very distinguished British diplomat, which fits her perfectly, I would say, for the job of EPO President.

# posted by Anonymous : 24 July, 2007 08:06