THE profits of the European Patent Office in Munich continue to soar. The EPO
now has a Web page on the Internet, but despite its wealth it still does not
provide free searchs of its patent database. Searchers must buy CD-ROMs, which
the EPO sells at up to 拢2100 for each year covered.
According to the EPO鈥檚 Annual Report, there has been a 鈥済ratifying increase
in patent applications鈥�. The total number of applications filed over the past
year increased by 5.4 per cent to 78 300, while the EPO鈥檚 income rose by 4.8 per
cent.
With one eye on future profits, the report starts with a lengthy essay on the
value of patents to industry. It illustrates the point by referring to
鈥淲estinghouse鈥檚 successful protection of its basic transistor invention鈥�. When
New 杏吧原创 reminded the EPO that it was Bell Labs that invented and
patented the transistor, it could say only that the essay was written by 鈥渁n
辞耻迟蝉颈诲别谤鈥�.
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