This is the major reason I have seen startups apply for patents. Pure signalling value. Lots of companies patent complete bunk, and I’ve never seen anyone get

This is the major reason I have seen startups apply for patents. Pure signalling value. Lots of companies patent complete bunk, and I’ve never seen anyone get called on it. It seems like investors don’t really read them. I have also seen companies patent things that won’t work and that they have no intention of working on - with the rationale that it will confuse competitors. Given what we know about Theranos it’s entirely plausible that some of their patents were intended as “smokescreens”.