A Patent Is Worth Having, Right? Well, Maybe Not

PATENTS are supposed to give inventors an incentive to create things that spur economic growth. For some companies, especially in the pharmaceutical business, patents do just that by allowing them to pull in billions in profits from brand-name, blockbuster drugs. But for most public companies, patents don't pay off, say a couple of researchers who have crunched the numbers.

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http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/15/business/yourmoney/15proto.html?ex=1342152...