Nilay Patel, on the This is my next podcast:

Nobody has ever told me exactly why the patent system is fundamentally broken.

Here’s why: it is simply not possible to create any non-trivial piece of software that doesn’t violate hundreds of [software]patents. As a result, you can’t release software without putting yourself into a position where you might suddenly lose all of your money. Essentially, thanks to the patent system, you can be put out of business at any time, for no good reason.