Building a valuable bridge that people voluntarily pay you to use is an investment. Planting a flag next to General Dynamics driveway so that you can collect a

Building a valuable bridge that people voluntarily pay you to use is an investment. Planting a flag next to General Dynamics driveway so that you can collect a percentage off every aircraft that goes buy is rent seeking. If patent holders were required to specifically identify and price the technology they encumber standards with such that the standards setters can pick and choose which were worth it-- that would be a different matter, but it isn't how it works. Note that I pointed out that the specific patented technologies often have negligible or even negative benefits.