"To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries."

That single sentence from Article I, Section 8, Clause 8 of the U.S. constitution has enabled so many creators and inventors over the past 200+ years to earn a living from their creations. Unfortunately the patent and copyright laws that arise from that clause are no longer benefiting the progress of science and useful arts.

Big corporations and "non-practicing entitities" (aka patent trolls) now abuse both copyright and patents to line their pockets at the expense of society without adding anything useful.

In just the past few weeks Google, Microsoft, Apple, Oracle, RIM and others have spent $17 billion to acquire portfolios of thousands of patents that will be used to either beat up on competitors or defend against such lawsuits.

What that $17 billion won't do is create a single useful job aside from the lawyers that perpetuate this travesty. That's one hell of a tax on productivity and innovation. We deserve better.

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TechCrunch | The Terrible Cost Of Patents
The cost of patents is going up, and that is not a good thing. After all, Google is paying $12.5 billion for Motorola largely for its huge mobile patent portfolio. In July, an anti-Google consortium…

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