One issue the tech world would love see addressed that is largely ignored by candidates in all races is the issue of patent trolls. Being in the tech world myself, and developing software, this parasitic practice is something I have always closely watched.
First a little background. Not everyone has heard of patent trolls, but everyone has felt the ill-affects they cause. So what is a patent troll? I’ll let Wikipedia tell you:
A patent troll, also called a patent holding company (PHC), patent assertion entity (PAE), and non-practicing entity (NPE) is a person or company who enforces patent rights against accused infringers in an attempt to collect licensing fees, but does not manufacture products or supply services based upon the patents in question, thus engaging in economic rent-seeking. Non-practicing entities are generally not considered ‘patent trolls’ when they offer their patented technologies to licensees in advance, such as individual inventors, university research laboratories, development firms, and licensing agents that offer enforcement and negotiation services on behalf of patent owners.
The way patents work in our country is that ideas can be easily patented, even if they aren’t proven to work. Then someone else comes along with the same idea, actually makes it work and then incorporates it into their software or hardware. Now the person that had the original idea, or even some patent trolling company, comes along and starts the costly legal process.
So how much does this cost us? Estimates put the price tag at $29 billion annually, and that’s just out of pocket. Overall wealth is closer to $60 billion. Google alone spends more than $1 billion a year fighting off patent trolls.
When it comes to Bernie Sanders, he is the candidate that has the best understanding of the tech world and the candidate best able to address this problem. New laws are needed to protect innovation, but not hinder it. Imagine that $29 billion being used to research alternative energies or medical cures? Our country would be in such a better place. Instead it is all wasted away on nothing but pure corporate greed. Bernie Sanders is the candidate of the people, and loves pissing off the corporate vultures. Putting out a great plan to combat patent trolls, he could secure the Silicon Valley vote, including the CEOs, as well as others throughout the growing tech world.
Please Bernie, use your platform to not only address this issue, but also come up with a solution to a problem draining our economy.