> Meanwhile people say capitalism drives innovation.
The saying is really that free market competition drives innovation.
Obviously patents and copyrights are government-issued monopolies, and monopolies are by definition lacking in competition.
The theory is that by granting the monopolies we get more innovation. Often the theory is wrong.
Especially when we allow the company to leverage the monopoly on the thing they actually invented into a monopoly on ancillary things that are only used in combination with that class of product.
The saying is really that free market competition drives innovation.
Obviously patents and copyrights are government-issued monopolies, and monopolies are by definition lacking in competition.
The theory is that by granting the monopolies we get more innovation. Often the theory is wrong.
Especially when we allow the company to leverage the monopoly on the thing they actually invented into a monopoly on ancillary things that are only used in combination with that class of product.