I don't know. I think everyone has to figure out how to make a buck in this world, and inventors that don't produce any products anyone wants should be (in a fair world) out of luck.
Ethically, I think you have to do more than just file paperwork and leverage the government to extract money from others. It might be legal to tax people producing products, but it isn't moral or ethical.
Besides, it isn't the inventors (generally) who troll. The patents are sold to lawyers (like Intellectual Ventures) that troll, and they are the inventors on very few of the patents they take to court.
Maybe actual inventors can sue even if they don't have a product? I see no advantage in this, but I doubt this group is big enough to matter either.
> I think everyone has to figure out how to make a buck in this world, and inventors that don't produce any products anyone wants
Who said I didn't produce products no one wanted? Folks like my inventions and are willing to pay for them. However, those inventions aren't complete products.
> The patents are sold to lawyers (like Intellectual Ventures) that troll, and they are the inventors on very few of the patents they take to court.
That's because many inventors don't have enough money to go that route.
They'd much rather do it themselves (if only because IV takes a huge cut), but that is often out of the question.
> Maybe actual inventors can sue even if they don't have a product?
And how do you suggest that they do that?
I'm completely serious. I've done the lawyer dance a couple of times and didn't see any way to do what you're suggesting.
Details please. (You do know what you're talking about, right?)
Ethically, I think you have to do more than just file paperwork and leverage the government to extract money from others. It might be legal to tax people producing products, but it isn't moral or ethical.
Besides, it isn't the inventors (generally) who troll. The patents are sold to lawyers (like Intellectual Ventures) that troll, and they are the inventors on very few of the patents they take to court.
Maybe actual inventors can sue even if they don't have a product? I see no advantage in this, but I doubt this group is big enough to matter either.