3. Only Lawyers and Megacorporations Benefit

The only beneficiaries of software patents are lawyers and giant companies like and , which are the only ones with pockets deep enough to acquire, protect and assert them. Not coincidentally, it is often the same types of companies that are motivated to gather up patents in the first place. Since such megacorporations have often become less innovative themselves over the years, they can pursue a strategy of sitting back and collecting licensing fees on their patents instead.

4. Monopolies Are Being Expanded

Along similar lines, because it tends to be the giant corporations that can afford and are motivated to buy up patents, those very same patents tend to expand their monopolies, as they begin to claim ownership of more and more of the intellectual assets in their industry. Can that possibly be a good thing? No way.

5. Innovation Is Being Squelched