Re: Apple Patents

[Andrew Richards] "I expected better..."

Apparently, I not only referred to you by your last name, but I couldn't get your last name correct either. Sorry.

Andrew,

Both your post (links) were very interesting. I can understand the concern over issuing patents that are too broad in scope. Perhaps software patents are more difficult to define than hardware patents. But I'm not sure I would go so far as to say there shouldn't be software patents.

If a software engineer comes up with a great (unique) idea, they should be able to patent their idea. So they can protect their idea and perhaps launch a start up company based on their idea.

Are there too many patents? I don't know how to answer that question. Do people or companies benefit from patents? I think so.

Do consumers benefit from patents. I think that's a harder question to answer. I think consumers benefit from competition. Having many choices. If only one company sells the iPhone, only the company benefits. The consumers are stuck having to pay whatever cost that company chooses.

If one company creates a better software mouse trap, do consumers benefit if all companies have the right to build that mouse trap? Or would consumers benefit if the other companies have to figure out how to build an even better mouse trap? Which process produces more competition? Which process produces more innovation?

I don't think I know the correct answers. But I think people should have the ability to protect their ideas, at least for some brief period of time.

Kevin