THANK HEAVENS FOR THOSE PATENT TROLLS

摘要

It's the new year, a wonderful time to reflect on all of the things we can be grateful for. Contrary to popular opinion, it's time to spare a kind word and thought for the blessings that patent trolls bring to our nation and to our prosperity. No, this is not Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal." As a libertarian I weep for the patent trolls as the lynch mobs gather. Full disclosure: I don't have a dog in this hunt, nor have I ever worked with or against a patent troll. But they serve a genuine need in the marketplace. Patent trolls are often the buyer of last resort for an inventor who cannot afford to develop his or her invention into a product. It bears asking: Who invented the name? Was it perchance patent thieves who conveniently coined the name "patent trolls" to deflect attention from their own nefarious activities?