Editing Software patent debate (section)

===Patent trolls===
*Software companies are becoming patent hoarders, spending billions of dollars on accumulating patents and even more on litigations and settlements – resources could be better put to use in creating new and innovative software advances. Too many patents are given out, making it difficult for developers to create new software due to possibility of accidental infringement. Engineers say it impedes their creativity.<ref>{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/2015/02/eff-eliminate-software-patents/| title= EFF: If You Want to Fix Software Patents, Eliminate Software Patents| magazine= Wired| access-date= 2017-04-26| last1= Lapowsky| first1= Issie}}</ref>
*In 2016 IBM earned 8,088 U.S. patents; thus earning the most grants from the U.S. Patent Office for the 24th year in a row. They bested their closest tech rival by more than 2,500 patents. Behemoths like IBM, Google, and Oracle gather as many patents in the fields considered 'hot' such as Artificial Intelligence to limit the innovation potential of smaller firms.<ref name="www.uspto.gov" />{{Full citation needed|date=December 2022}} Patent claims were part of the ''[[Oracle America, Inc. v. Google, Inc.]]'' case, where Oracle claimed that Google's implementation of Java within Android violated Oracle's copyright and patents. [[Duke University|Duke]] Computer Science Professor [[Owen Astrachan]] was involved in the case. 
*Not only large companies are patent hoarders. NPEs (Non-Practising Entities) are businesses that assert patents through litigation to achieve revenues from alleged infringers without practising or commercialising the technology covered by the patents they hold, and generally without being the original inventor. NPEs are very effective in their litigations. Damages awards for NPEs almost are 3 times greater than practicing entities over recent years.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.pwc.com/us/en/forensic-services/publications/assets/2016-pwc-patent-litigation-study.pdf/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160926232647/https://www.pwc.com/us/en/forensic-services/publications/assets/2016-pwc-patent-litigation-study.pdf/ |archive-date=2016-09-26 |title=2016 Patent Litigation Study: Are we at an inflection point? |date=May 2016 |website=PwC}}</ref>  NPE lawsuits are associated with half a trillion USD of lost wealth to defendants, mostly technology companies, from 1990 through 2010.<ref name=Bessen2012>{{cite magazine |last1=Bessen |first1=James |last2=Ford |first2=Jennifer |last3=Meurer |first3=Michael J. |date=Winter 2011–2012 |title=The Private and Social Costs of Patent Trolls |url=https://www.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/serials/files/regulation/2012/5/v34n4-1.pdf |url-status=live |language=en |magazine=Regulation |publisher=Cato Institute |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220302200336/https://www.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/serials/files/regulation/2012/5/v34n4-1.pdf |archive-date=2022-03-02 |access-date=2022-12-20}}</ref>{{rp|page=26}} These lawsuits substantially reduce technology developers' incentives to innovate.<ref name=Bessen2012 />{{rp|page=26}}