> Maybe it is just me but I just fail to see the point of patents for anything else in the world of today, they are a net negative for society.
It's not just you. Most people agree that the current patent system stifles innovation instead of promoting it. They are borderline unenforceable for small players, but make an effective moat (through sheer numbers, not quality) for the incumbents. And let's not even mention patent trolls. The only positive thing about them is that they allow people with strict NDAs to talk about their work, but this is hardly what patents are supposed to be for.
They can theoretically do some good, but the standards would have to be raised by a factor of maybe 100 for that, maybe more.
It's not just you. Most people agree that the current patent system stifles innovation instead of promoting it. They are borderline unenforceable for small players, but make an effective moat (through sheer numbers, not quality) for the incumbents. And let's not even mention patent trolls. The only positive thing about them is that they allow people with strict NDAs to talk about their work, but this is hardly what patents are supposed to be for.
They can theoretically do some good, but the standards would have to be raised by a factor of maybe 100 for that, maybe more.