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I think that is focusing on a less important evil in the definition of it (although still significant). Let's say that the main issue with patent trolling is t

I think that is focusing on a less important evil in the definition of it (although still significant). Let's say that the main issue with patent trolling is that it is basically rent-seeking with patents. If we agree on that, then choking out competition and stifling innovation through patents should count as a "flavour" of patent trolling, regardless of who invented the patent. Since that seems to go both against the concept of a free market as well as against copyleft ideologies, I would expect that to be the one thing most can more or less agree on as an issue with patents, and that it is an essential element of patent trolling. Mind you, I'm not naively saying patents are inherently bad, because without them big companies can just copy small innovators and push them out of business through economies of scale. I honestly don't know what the right solution is here.

kiba 7y ago
You think small innovators can win against big corporation who also have more lawyers and more patents?
- vanderZwan 7y ago
  You have a good point. But again: I don't know what the best answer to this problem would be. Does a lack of patents favour diversity more or not?
WalterBright 7y ago
> because without them big companies can just copy small innovators and push them out of business through economies of scale. They pretty much do anyway. The patent system doesn't work and should be simply abolished.
- vanderZwan 7y ago
  To be honest, based on what I've heard about it my impression is that the way the US patent office handles patents is a large part of what enables patent trolls (here used as an umbrella term for all patent abuse discussed so far) to do their thing. Namely that it's relatively easy to get a patent, and that the validity of it is then tested in court. However, often the threat of going to court is what is abused by patent trolls. In most other countries getting a patent is the hard part.

kiba 7y ago

You think small innovators can win against big corporation who also have more lawyers and more patents?

vanderZwan 7y ago
You have a good point. But again: I don't know what the best answer to this problem would be. Does a lack of patents favour diversity more or not?

WalterBright 7y ago

> because without them big companies can just copy small innovators and push them out of business through economies of scale. They pretty much do anyway. The patent system doesn't work and should be simply abolished.

vanderZwan 7y ago
To be honest, based on what I've heard about it my impression is that the way the US patent office handles patents is a large part of what enables patent trolls (here used as an umbrella term for all patent abuse discussed so far) to do their thing. Namely that it's relatively easy to get a patent, and that the validity of it is then tested in court. However, often the threat of going to court is what is abused by patent trolls. In most other countries getting a patent is the hard part.