, Maddus Mattus wrote

@evildictaitor: Can you give me a concrete example of $100m research project, that takes $5m to copy? And how fast can bring a copy of a $100m research project to market?

1. A drug to cure HIV-AIDS.

Finding the right protein: >$1bn. Determining what protein is the active ingredient in a given liquid using mass-spectrography <$5m.

 

2. Inventing the Office 2007 Ribbon.

Cost to make: >$50m

Cost to implement, given a working implementation: <$10k

 

3. Inventing Windows XP

Cost to make >$1bn

Cost to invent Reactos - a copy of Windows XP made by copying Windows XP, < $10m.

Innovative companies that do things differently lead the markets

That, right there, is proof that patents work.