> The original intent of the patent system was to give inventors a leg up to commercialize their idea before they can be bullied out of the market by large comp

> The original intent of the patent system was to give inventors a leg up to commercialize their idea before they can be bullied out of the market by large competitors. I disagree that this was originally or should be currently the sole goal of the patent system. The purpose of patents is "to promote the progress of useful arts". As in, the patent system should assist in making the invention useful, public, and widely available. The patent system should not exist to promote the individual interests of companies, though that might be a necessary side effect. Frankly, the idea that an invention should remain behind a paywall even though it is no longer being developed or commercialized does not seem like a good system to me. It seems like a system designed to protect the patent holder over the public.