[pp.int.general] No Bonus for More Patents (Berne declaration, Eklärung von Bern)

[Thomas Bruderer]

The Berne declaration asked us to help to distribute this call 
internationally, hope it is of interest to you all.

Please redistribute this call to companies or NGOs in your country which 
could support this call.

Regards,
Thomas, PP-CH

Dear Colleagues

The president of the European Patent Office (EPO) proposed a EUR 4,000 
bonus payout to each EPO staff person basedon 31% of the EUR 89.2 
million excess in operating result of the EPO in 2011.

*We believe that such a bonus is an adverse incentive. If more patent 
fees result in a higher salary there is certainly a conflict of interest 
for the employees of the EPO.*And the EPO should not generate any 
surplus anyway.

  The proposal was already endorsed by the EPO's Budget and Finance 
Committee, where six states voted against and two abstained. The final 
decision on bonus payment will be taken by the 38 member states in the 
Administrative Council and requires a majority of three quarters of the 
votes (=28,5 states). Presumably, thevote will be very close. Each 
country can make the difference.

  We therefore intend to send a letter to all delegates at the 
Administrative Council (attached).

  We are now looking for signatories for the sign-on letter from the 38 
Member Countries of the EPO.

*Please send your sign-on  (name/organisation/country) to François 
Meienberg, Berne Declaration (food at evb.ch <mailto:food at evb.ch>) _till 
December 6^th , 2pm_ (Central European Time) . *

Please get in touch with me, if you have any question in this regard.

  Best

François Meienberg

Ps: See following Article for more 
information:http://www.ip-watch.org/2012/11/13/proposal-for-epo-staff-bonus-raises-questions/?utm_source=daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=alerts 

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