Patents should be so specific that it’s basically a joke how easy it is to get around them. Like, anything past building the exact same product to the exact specifications listed shouldn’t be patent infringement.
I should be able to build an iPhone 15 but all the components are 5% bigger so they don’t match the patent filing and it’s not infringement. For digital things, unless I straight up stole your code and assets, absolutely not.
Also patents should expire after like, 5 years, 10 at the most. Not just because I hate capitalism. Even using the explicit logic behind why patents exist, longer patent terms are harmful. You allow people to patent things to “encourage innovation” by ensuring people have the right to profit off their inventions. But after a few years that’s done, and longer terms prevent people from building on the work of people that came before.
Progressive’s plug-in thing that gives you a discount if you don’t brake too hard strongly encourages running red lights and slowing down to a dangerous degree on rural roads long before your turn, threatening you with increased rates if you don’t do these dangerous things.
Like, these things should be so very incredibly illegal. A device that charges you money for slamming on your brakes is a device that discourages quickly braking when necessary, which is so fucking dangerous.