@Ronald J. Riley:

Sorry, I don't buy the idea of the poor exploited little independent inventor. I'm sure it happens once in awhile, but not so often. I certainly don't buy it when you pair them up with lawyers that make a big percentage if they win...parasites.

First, I don't believe in an invention without a working model, and not too many "inventors" can afford to build a working model of a high tech gizmo. I particularly despise process and business method patents. Software patents of all kinds are an absurdity, because software is just math in the end, and you can't patent math (or certainly shouldn't, IMO). _All_ "new" work is usually just one or two new perspectives added to all that came before, if that. Finally,
not just software, but _everything_ is math, and to the extent that a concept is described without being accompanied by a physical object as a working model, there is _nothing_ new there period. Everything possible (and a lot that's not) already exists as just a big number buried in a possibly infinite random bitstream.

The very concept of patents is invalid. Only copyrights make any sense, and they would of course only cover a particular expression of something, not the underlying concepts.

Big evil corporations produce something*.
"Inventing" something in the abstract, without producing it and bringing it to market, isn't worth the flatulence that someone has probably patented using as a renewable energy source.
And it doesn't advance the useful arts and
sciences.

* well, usually. Something like Enron earns
my contempt too, as do bogus investment
scams and the like. Although they at least
serve the useful purpose of separating fools
from their money...

More like mythical inventions.
No working model, no detailed plans, just a vague description of an idea. Often ideas that others have already put into use but considered them too obvious to patent. They are worthless as inventions as no one is going to pay for a vague, obvious idea, but in the hands of a patent troll they can be used to extort money from big companies.

The "big companies" are far from blameless, Apple has created lots of it's own bogus patents, the big companies cross licence these worthless patents to block the entry of new companies into a market.

And for the few real inventions created by a little guy, by the time the lawyers are done they will be lucky to get enough for a cup of coffee.

The problem is not patents, it is big companies who steal others' inventions and whine like a five year old when they are caught.

The defendant list in this case reads like a Who's Who of serial infringers who act like they are entitled to build their profits with others' inventions. There is a reason that these companies are constantly being sued and the reason is that they are stealing others' inventions on the grandest of scales.

In the process of taking these inventions those companies kill the chances of the inventors being able to continue to invent, and they kill jobs and prosperity which those jobs would create. Even worse is that once a transnational patent pirate takes an invention they ship the invention and virtually all the benefits of the the invention to low wage countries. Those counties get jobs and some of the economic benefits while the patent pirating transnational corporation gets the bulk of the profit.

Like many who are caught red handed committing a wrong these companies try to smear those whom they have victimized as mythical evil patent trolls.

The truth is that a patent troll is either an inventor or someone who stepped up and backed the inventor financially who has the gall to stand up to these corporate bullies. They sue because that is the only recourse the law gives them. Perhaps we should change law to recognize that stealing billions of dollars from inventors should be treated as a criminal activity and corporate officers who condone and allow this kind of activity should be held accountable. This companies should be forced to make restitution and when their actions are found to be intentional corporate officers at the highest levels should be sent to jail.

Ronald J. Riley,

Speaking only on my own behalf.
President - www.PIAUSA.org - RJR at PIAUSA.org
Executive Director - www.InventorEd.org - RJR at InvEd.org
Senior Fellow - www.PatentPolicy.org
President - Alliance for American Innovation
Caretaker of Intellectual Property Creators on behalf of deceased founder Paul Heckel
Washington, DC
Direct (810) 597-0194 - (202) 318-1595 - 9 am to 8 pm EST.

That alone rules out software patents AND companies that don't actually produce goods.

Sanity and common sense are mostly things of the past, bem003us. That's why I'm a Luddite.

Companies must jack-up the price of their products (which we end up paying for) and trolls pocket cash or get crushed, and the only winners are the lawyers and the Patent Office. I'm no fan of trolls, but the patent office shouldn't encourage trolls in the first place, and they (USPTO) have a financial incentive to do so. This system is stupid; what I wouldn't give for a little sanity and common sense...