HOW PATENTS HINDER INNOVATION

I have always wanted to do a write-up on software patenting and how it relates to free and open source software (which I’d still very do). But I saw a very beautiful infographic on the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) website that beautifully outlines the unreasonableness of some certain patents (particularly software patents) and how they affect the creative process (innovation).

Just as a reminder, patenting is a legal privileges or rights that is conferred on an invention within a given period of time. Its usually for the purpose of the inventor to get benefits or reward (most times in the form of money) from his or her invention(s). But the graphic below shows how the good intentions of patenting can be hijacked and misused – in most cases against other innovators.