While one has to acknowledge the importance of intellectual property to incentivise innovation, I think the use of patents has crossed the line and is right now rather hindering innovation than promoting or incentivising it. The only solution would be to grant patents much more restrictively. One solution might be the European patent system, in which basically only the technical innovation – but not the idea behind it – can be patented. Software can not be patented at all, but is protected by copyright law. While big companies and software sector lobbyists still try to achieve software patenting in the EU as well, one can’t say that the system has led to unsrupulous usurpation of technology.

But getting away from the current system will almost be impossible, as too many people and companies involved are making way too much money with this.

Good for the lawyers. Bad for innovation & competition.

While one has to acknowledge the importance of intellectual property to incentivise innovation, I think the use of patents has crossed the line and is right now rather hindering innovation than promoting or incentivising it. The only solution would be to grant patents much more restrictively. One solution might be the European patent system, in which basically only the technical innovation – but not the idea behind it – can be patented. Software can not be patented at all, but is protected by copyright law. While big companies and software sector lobbyists still try to achieve software patenting in the EU as well, one can’t say that the system has led to unsrupulous usurpation of technology.

But getting away from the current system will almost be impossible, as too many people and companies involved are making way too much money with this.

Good for the lawyers. Bad for innovation & competition.

you go to the authority (the itc) to value your IP. the either deem it real and thus valuable or toss it out entirely. it’s risky, a loss is more than just a fail it could open the door to all other competitors now fearlessly utilizing the very thing they sought to defend from just one..

may not be the best way.. it’s just the only way.. it’s dramatic sounding too so makes good press..

Too many lawyers, who contribute nothing, and too few engineers and designers, who do.

This is the  RIAA and MPAA all over again, (and they don’t make any movies or music either. They add ZERO entertainment value.)

Shakespeare had it right in “Richard III: “The first thing we do, kill all the lawyers.”