I am expected to file patents. The number of patents I file is considered a measure of my innovation; each patent filed is handsomely rewarded with cash; filing patents is one of the things I need to do in order to advance professionally.
I am expected to hate patents, especially software patents. They stifle innovation, are used to stifle competition, and are generally evil.
If I won’t file a patent, in all likelihood, someone else will. At least my patents are not trivial. But a lesser evil is still evil.
What’s the right thing to do?
I filed 6 patents in 2005.
