Protecting small inventors myth
The myth about software patents protect small inventors is based on the idea that a small company with a patent can become successful by excluding the big companies from competition or by being the only company developing that product.
The word "protecting" should generally be avoided. From the point of view of society and businesses, a patent is something that can be used to attack them. Patents are a threat, not a protection.
Simply saying "Software patents don't protect small companies" is not a fact, it demands arguments. Patent systems provides temporary monopolies, the duration of which has been fixed by TRIPS as 20 years. The monopolists (patent holders) have the right to prosecute any inventor that develops a product that resembles in any way any patents held by the monopolist.
That way, patents are used to threaten small inventors that want to enter in new markets.
Related pages on ESP Wiki
What small companies say:
External links
- Richard Stallman explains: how big companies can always for a cross-license and how this myth relies on a series
