An adage from the business world states, “Great ideas are a dime a dozen but people who follow through on those ideas and actually make them work are priceless.†A patent is defined as “a grant made by a government that confers upon the creator of an invention the sole right to make, use, and sell that invention for a set period of time.†Now envision a company who does nothing but buy patents in order to find and sue people who are infringing on them. It doesn’t feel right, does it? The original intent of patents is compromised when the idea can be sold to someone else because the buyer is not the creator, but they’re still given full protection. Why should they have the right to an idea, especially when it’s worthless until executed? Patents are being used as weapons rather than a protection for the original inventor. This undermines creativity because people fear litigation even if they thought of the idea on their own. Everyone has ideas, but only a select few act on them, and those few deserve the protection that patents were created to provide, not those who buy them up in hopes to make a buck.
Interesting entry. I agree with you.