[Kevin Patrick] "Are there too many patents? I don't know how to answer that question. Do people or companies benefit from patents? I think so."
I think you have to go back to the original intent of copyright and patent law in general. It was intended to protect the original creator of intellectual property for a specific length of time. This was to give them breathing room to develop and profit from the idea or product. However, the second part of that was that they should also have a limited term, after which the IP became public domain. This was intended to encourage innovation by others building upon the foundation of the original copyrighted or patented item. This original legal intent would seem to benefit both the producer and consumer of the product or idea. I think that we've gotten away from those principles.
- Oliver
Oliver Peters Post Production Services, LLC
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com 
