IMO patents (the idea) are not the problem, they are a reasonable system for funding the work. The problem is that while patents (the implementation) are about

IMO patents (the idea) are not the problem, they are a reasonable system for funding the work. The problem is that while patents (the implementation) are about money they don't apply to money, they apply to the freedom to utilize the patented work. Patents should not limit freedom, they should funnel some of the money made from the patented work back to the people who did the work. If money isn't involved the patent shouldn't come up. IE. if you aren't making money from a patent you should be free to use it as you want. To put it another way, we shouldn't put arbitrary restrictions on freedom in exchange for money.