Apple and Google spend more money on patents than on research and developmentJ.G. Vibes One of the most obvious and compelling points brought forward by opponents of intellectual property is the fact that these monopoly privileges are a disadvantage to the economy and society as a whole because it stifles innovation and guarantees that prices will remain high. The negative impact on innovation is primarily the result of an artificially high barrier to entry for new inventors and entrepreneurs. However, when seeing how much research and development money is getting thrown away in court and on patent filings, it becomes apparent that there is an array of contributing factors that all lead in the same direction, stagnation. If these companies are spending more money protecting old ideas, than they are on creating new ones it seems obvious that this would further halt technological progression and keep prices high for customers. Many of the top executives at these companies are patent trolls, and full supporters of the intellectual property racket, however, this worldview isnt shared by everyone in the industry, it isnt even shared by everyone at these two companies. One thing that we are very seriously taking a look at is the question of software patents, and whether in fact the patent system as it currently exists is the right system to incent innovation and really promote consumer-friendly policies I dont think the decision of California will hold. And I dont agree with it very small things I dont really call that innovative. I wish everybody would just agree to exchange all the patents and everybody can build the best forms they want to use everybodys technologies. Mainstream media and academia presents intellectual property as a market necessity, but that hasnt prevented the resistance against these monopoly privileges from growing. Recently, the most cited Judge in the country, Richard A Prosner has even wrote about the need to reform the patent system, although many dont think that his suggestions go far enough. To be fair though, Prosner admitted that he did not know enough about intellectual property or the patent system to be able to give a full working solution to the problem. The copyright industry is deliberately measured in a thoroughly deceptive way that borders on ridicule. According to WIPOs guidelines as to what should be included when calculating the size of the copyright industry, we find everything from paper pulp manufacturing, to kitchen appliance retail sales, to shoemaking (WIPO 2003, via Petterssons paper above). If you include practically every part of the economy in group X, and then claim that group X is a vital part of the economy, then its going to look like youre right. Just dont get caught looking silly when it turns out how you selected that X, and that theres no correlation at all with what youre really talking about the industries benefiting from the copyright monopoly, which are about one-tenth the size of those being held back by it. Want to create jobs? Kill the monopoly. With ideas like that, it should come as no surprise that the World Intellectual Property Organization has blocked Rick Falkvinge and the pirate party from becoming observer members in the (WIPO) organization, which would give their message more credibility in mainstream circles. J.G. Vibes is the author of an 87 chapter counter culture textbook called Alchemy of the Modern Renaissance and host of a show called Voluntary Hippie Radio. He is also an artist with an established record label and event promotion company that hosts politically charged electronic dance music events. You can keep up with his work, which includes free podcasts, free e-books free audiobooks at his website www.aotmr.com. linkwithin_text=Related Articles: 