] Intel's Grove derides such patent holders for showing
] little interest in producing goods with their inventions
] in favor of demanding licensing fees from others. "We
] call them trolls," he said.
]
] Acacia's patents lay dormant for 10 years, until the
] original company was bought out by some of its minority
] investors. Management is now making it one of many
] companies specializing in the business of generating
] money from patents, rather than using them to develop
] products directly.
]
] Robert A. Berman, general counsel for Acacia, said that
] many inventors and companies don't have the
] sophistication, expertise or money to commercialize their
] inventions.

The idea that software patents hurt innovation is becoming more mainstream (now that the FTC has made a statement about it).

washingtonpost.com: Patenting Air or Protecting Property?