> Patents are a pest. They're just another mechanism to pump money from below to above. Patents are a way to make sure inventors are getting compensated for th

> Patents are a pest. They're just another mechanism to pump money from below to above. Patents are a way to make sure inventors are getting compensated for their R&D work and risk. I do agree with your observation though - IMHO, the "exclusivity" period of a patent should last five years, and for the 15 years after that, patent holders should be mandated to license out their patent at reasonable pricing.