More than patent trolls

A lot of media coverage of software patents focusses on the problems of patent trolls. However, patent trolls are only a small part of the problem.

One source of the problem is that some people measure harm by counting court cases and out of court settlements. Harm with neither litigation nor threats is harder to count.

Problems which would still exist without trolls

• All businesses are targets
• Blocking innovation and research
• Blocking useful freedoms
• Blocks competing software, reducing choice
• Breaks software distribution methods
• Controlling entire markets
• Costs are astronomically disproportionate for SMEs and individuals
• Costs of the patent system to governments
• Examples of use for sabotage
• Freedom of expression
• Harm to standards
• Harms to education
• Hindering competition, obstructing the free market
• Incompatible timespans
• Infringement is unavoidable
• Jobs and skills
• Publishing information is made dangerous
• Software patents harm SMEs

Related pages on ESP Wiki

• Arguments
• More than innovation
• Organising a campaign

External links

• Harmfulness ranking of ways to use software patents, by Florian Mueller

This entry is a stub.
The information provided is too short. You can help us by expanding it and adding appropriate sources.