I agree completely. (and sorry for the double post but neglected to change the title line which showed EOM).

There is a book, Patents in the Knowledge-Based Economy, that was contributed to by a Pubpat (nka Armpat, or Armpit) board member, Cecil Quillen. The book covers a lot of territory but specific entries discuss patent re-examination and compares and contrasts the processes between Europe and the US. There is something within the themes identified therein that strikes a nerve, but not having the complete text at hand makes it hard to confirm relevant aspects. It is enough to make one think that there is much more out there than meets the eye, and a body of thought that is trending one way and a whole lot of EU-based $$ riding the wave behind it.

Conjecture on my part ..... still trying to connect the dots.