Every time someone links to those episodes I feel compelled to chime in and note that they (well, the first one, at least) are a terrible piece of reporting about patents.
1. Read through the transcript of the first episode. Note that the word "claims" shows up not even once.
1. a) If you don't know why that's a problem, you're in no shape to judge the patent system either.
2. All the patents at the M-CAM guy says are "on the same thing" are actually not. I know because I read them all.
3. There is no such thing as "a patent on toast". It's a downright shame that the authors didn't think to double check that with someone who, y'know, real understands how patents work. But oh look, amongst other things, M-CAM sells "patent risk management" services! No, not a conflict of interest there at all.
4. They talk to engineers (like many you'll find on HN) to get their views on patents. And like most here, none of them seems to understand how patents work. (Again, see point 1. a) above.) What do you expect will happen when you ask a Blub programmer his views on Haskell?
5. In the first episode, they insinuate that IV doesn't pay inventors like they claim. In the second episode, turns out that they do pay quite well, but oh look! that inventor is totally a schmuck for ripping off his coinventors! (Is he really the kind of inventor that IV is paying?!)
1. Read through the transcript of the first episode. Note that the word "claims" shows up not even once.
1. a) If you don't know why that's a problem, you're in no shape to judge the patent system either.
2. All the patents at the M-CAM guy says are "on the same thing" are actually not. I know because I read them all.
3. There is no such thing as "a patent on toast". It's a downright shame that the authors didn't think to double check that with someone who, y'know, real understands how patents work. But oh look, amongst other things, M-CAM sells "patent risk management" services! No, not a conflict of interest there at all.
4. They talk to engineers (like many you'll find on HN) to get their views on patents. And like most here, none of them seems to understand how patents work. (Again, see point 1. a) above.) What do you expect will happen when you ask a Blub programmer his views on Haskell?
5. In the first episode, they insinuate that IV doesn't pay inventors like they claim. In the second episode, turns out that they do pay quite well, but oh look! that inventor is totally a schmuck for ripping off his coinventors! (Is he really the kind of inventor that IV is paying?!)