This annoys me: technology and intellectual property

Apple hare patenting important ideas in augmented reality.
http://gpsobsessed.com/apple-patent-points-to-an-augmented-reality-future-for-the-iphone/

They have the money to spend on patent applications but what they're doing isn't rocket science. The patent system means stuff which isn't really that hard to work out can become owned by someone. People using the idea or technology in the future have to pay them otherwise they can't use it.

Patents are a big reason behind the expense of digital technology. It drives the costs up so only those in developed world countries can afford them and only the wealthy minority too.

Of course the patent helps fund the research which goes into these technologies which is billions of pounds.  The problem is the value of the patent - i.e. the amount of work done - isn't worth what the law suits cost companies who infringe on them even though they may have come up with the idea first or independently. It's just those who can afford a patent that can apply. Apple can knock out thousands of patent applications to cover technology in all sorts of industries and they're not the only big business doing this. It's worse in genetics where companies try to patent genetic code discoveries. That's our shared code. It's owned by humanity.

Idealists give their ideas away free and they work for sod all. They rarely get rewarded for their labour. The scientists who come up with the ideas which get patented don't see much of the rewards which are reaped by the corporations and lawyers in intelletual property/patent cases.

Worst of all, the system doesn't really serve humanity. It creates wealth for those who can afford to hire scienty people to come up with lots of ideas which they'll patent and hope that one or two are successful. But those ideas would happen anyway. Someone else can think of them independently. It just takes sufficient research.

It holds back progress and utility of technology. It also ensures technology filters down to the poorest slowly.