“Most patent holders cling to them as a source of life and defend them against all encroachment. Some businesses build up their war chests with patents as purely defensive measures. The more you own, the more you can intimidate your competitors to stay out of your territory. So how important are patents in generating innovation? The answer is not much, according to four economists from the Technical University of Lisbon. Their findings are remarkable: Nine in 10 of the innovations were never patented. They were just created and marketed, and changed the world.”
formerly http://lfb.org/today/does-innovation-require-the-patent-office/
