While acknowledging your quip for what it is, I would argue that monetizing a portfolio of patents that were legally acquired (either 1st or 3rd party) while ca

While acknowledging your quip for what it is, I would argue that monetizing a portfolio of patents that were legally acquired (either 1st or 3rd party) while capturing profit due to inefficiencies in the system is no different than what a typical hedge fund manager does so I don't see the problem. Ideas are not fungible. Consequently they are not supposed to be treated as currency, as commodities, or otherwise as subjects for speculation, except to the extent that doing so "promotes progress in the useful arts and sciences," according to the US Constitution. When someone shows me how Myrhvold's efforts do that, I'll reconsider the argument.