The fundamental problem Patents can impede progress. Patents can cost businesses far more money than the patents generate.
Patents can stifle creativity and scientific research.
Stifling research prevents the sharing of ideas, the improvements of ideas, and the implementation of same. People are prevented from helping their friends and neighbors, which is incalculably detrimental to society. The above problems are especially troublesome for the case of software patents. Features that are desirable in a long-term solution For the cases in which patents impede progress, those impediments should be removed. The rules of the game should be changed to have a bias so that society, creativity, research, and businesses all tend to benefit in the long term.