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Originally Posted by Carol
Name me one good invention (in the last century) that has made money for it's inventor that wasn't covered by a patent.
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Much of Microsoft's early success was not only not patented, but some was even patented by someone else. To this day, Microsoft is generally the one paying out when it comes to patent cases. They stayed ahead because of smart business moves (and if you ask some, illegal moves), and for a long time, being ahead of the game.
AT&T did not control telecom in the US because of a large patent portfolio, either.
Just look at the computer you are using, supposedly an example of the latest technology. There are not really any major parts of it that any single company controls thanks to patents. Almost every single part has many competitors making similar products and that's not because they are all paying license fees to one.
I certainly think patents are useful, but I think the importance of IP is somewhat overrated and the latest fad of high tech companies whose value is solely in IP is just that, a fad.