Where would the human race be if the first person to do anything was the only person allowed to do that thing. “Hey guys. Check this out. I’ve just invented the alphabet. Would you like to use it? Sure. I only ask for the carcass of one wild boar a week as payment for using my idea.” If that sounds bad, imagine how much worse it would be if it wasn’t the first person to do something that owned the rights, but it was instead the first person rich enough to employ a patent lawyer that took exclusive ownership of the idea for the next ~20 years. We now live in a world where companies buy-up other companies, not because the they want to sell their products, employ their staff or service their customers, but simply to own their patents. Instead … Continue reading »