Comments on: Microsoft alums amass thousands of patents

An IP firm wants to reinvigorate Thomas Edison's ethos of invention. Some in Silicon Valley fear the firm will channel Tort-king Melvin Belli instead.

[JoeCrow]

Plague

Software patents are a plague on the industry. It's only a matter of time before the system implodes under the weight of all the lawsuits. Patents might be fine for other industries but serve no purpose besides lining the pockets of lawyers in the software world. They are only slowing down the innovation in the U.S. and those coutries foolish enough to follow us. This company is an example of everything that is wrong with the system.

Software patents only good for blackmail

The saddest part of this is that for 95% of companies which are being demanded royalties from it is cheaper to pay up the demanded fee and be done with it than take the matter to the courts and have the patent found invalid or your software found non-infringeing. The complex nature of software and the fuzzy language of many patent applications make it both extremely expensive to fight this stuff in court and extremely hard to be sure of the outcome. When will this madness end.

[207495111267145837975635436522]

Software patents are anti innovation

The US patent office and patent process are completely broken down now.
US patent office is issuing patents not because you have created something, but just because you have best (most paid) lawyers. This is true: you can in fact get a patent on an idea, not an invention. It is like Edison getting patent on the idea behind light bulb, without actually making and selling it. Anyone who has invented something real knows that ideas are "dime a dozen, what matters is to manufacture those ideas into reality.

Thanks God for European Union which has at least for now resisted to give value to the Hoax patents that are issued by the US patent office.