[donaq]

And meanwhile, before the patent system gets fixed (assuming it ever will), we shouldn't blame Blackboard if it bullies the competition out of existence?

After all, if Blackboard didn't get the patent first, some other company would, and Blackboard would be the one infringing.

That argument is along the same lines as not convicting a hitman for accepting a hit on someone by rationalizing that if he didn't kill the victim, the business would just go to some other hitman. I think convicting whichever hitman accepted the assignment is reasonable, don't you?

[qqqqq5]

This analogy would work if killing someone for profit was legal.

[donaq]

The discussion is not about legality. I was responding to the OP saying that we shouldn't "blame Blackboard for bad behaviour" because if they hadn't done it, then someone else would have done it anyway. Hence the analogy is valid.