> I don't think that's really different between hardware and software. Marketing budget is something inherent in small vs. big companies in all industries, so

> I don't think that's really different between hardware and software. Marketing budget is something inherent in small vs. big companies in all industries, so I do not agree that the fact that software and hardware share this makes them similar. Your example does demonstrate a benefit of software patents in theory, but is this how they are typically used in practice?