[DanBC]

> I don't see any reason to not own patents in order to protect your work from being patent trolled.

Patents last a long time. Longer, sadly, than many companies. A good-faith company that owns several patents has no control over those "assets of the company" if they go out of business. If those patents end up in the hands of patent trolls there is nothing that the good faith company (or the ex-employees) can do.

Your novel analogy shows just how broken the patent system is.

[Alderin]

Perhaps here is a simple and effective minimizer to the evils of patents: make them non-transferrable. The original legal person (natural person or corporation) that was granted the patent holds it until expiration or death/dissolution/acquisition. Fewer patent trolls could operate if there are no patent transfers.