–David Kappos (currently head of the USPTO) speaking about patents

The US patent system amounts to a “communist government leader” opening up an office and asking anyone that wants to control production of a class of products to write up a general description of those product characteristics they want to control.

Out with competition and collaboration! The applicants each get 20 years of control.

Other details: If two or more applicants file overlapping claims, then the first one gets control. Also, if an existing product already falls under one of these claim descriptions, then the definition/scope of the description is adjusted to bypass that specific product. Also, being awarded control requires payment of a very large fee.

What an inefficient system this is! One person, not the most skilled either (and perhaps among the greediest and someone already wealthy), gets ultimate control for 20 years over all future innovation and creations that happen to fall within their territory. They can halt anything they don’t like and can divert income streams into their pockets. Other people’s superior or even pre-existing variations count for nothing in comparison.