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In my opinion, that's exactly how it should be. Patents do not exist to serve corporations, developers, inventors or investors. They exist to foster innovation

In my opinion, that's exactly how it should be. Patents do not exist to serve corporations, developers, inventors or investors. They exist to foster innovation so that the public can reap the benefits. Can you invent, market and sell a new type of bicycle stand without patents? No. The concept will be copied as soon as it hits the market. Can you invent, market and sell a new type of algorithm without patents? Arguably yes. Startups do it all the time. A patent is neither necessary nor sufficient for success in this case. In fact, it seems that on balance, patents are far more harmful than they are good to legitimate software companies.

anamax 16y ago
> They exist to foster innovation so that the public can reap the benefits. Fair enough, but dislosure fosters innovation. Two companies making the same bicycle stand is no more innovative than just one. > Can you invent, market and sell a new type of bicycle stand without patents? No. The concept will be copied as soon as it hits the market. If a copier can market and sell a new type of bicycle stand, why can't the inventor do the same? I note that many things, both physical and virtual, are sold without patent protection, so it's unclear why you think that patents are essential for physical things but not virtual.