Cost barrier to market entry

(For how patents are used as a barrier to protect a specific company or domain, see Blocks competing software, reducing choice)

Software patents prevent competition and entrench monopolies, thus hurting consumers and preventing the proper functioning of the software market.

Supporting evidence

• Network competition through regulation
• The EuroLinux petition - 435,000 signatures against the harm of software patents to competition and innovation

Related pages on ESP Wiki

• Cost of getting patents
• Costs are astronomically disproportionate for SMEs and individuals
• Software distributors paying Microsoft patent tax
• Blocks competing software, reducing choice
• Used for sabotage rather than competition
• Costs

External links

• Akamai attacks Limelight as well as other competitors
• Japan's 2nd most used word processor taken off the market in 2005:
  • TechDirt: Help Function Patent In Japan Means All Copies Of Word Processor Get Destroyed, Feb 2005
  • ComputerWorld: Tokyo court orders popular word processor off market, Feb 2005