This seems to be an arbitrary limitation you are applying. Most specialized machinery requires highly-skilled workers. They are effectively useless without th

This seems to be an arbitrary limitation you are applying. Most specialized machinery requires highly-skilled workers. They are effectively useless without the right person operating (executing) the machinery. Regardless, my original point still stands: it is their duty to return as much money as they can to shareholders/investors. Someone is willing to buy their patent portfolio, therefore they are selling it. Why are you trying to assign morals to something as simple as an exchange of assets in a market? (This isn't arguing for or against the idea of patenting these technologies...that's a different can of worms. But as it stands, they A) have patents and B) are capable of selling said patents.)