See this comment for a link to start with for patents in general: <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;news.ycombinator.com&#x2F;item?id=10962996" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;news.ycombinator.com&#x2F;item?id=10962996</a><p>To my knowledge, empirical evidence that incumbent patent holders in the software industry are suppressing innovators is mixed. This paper from 2006 claims no ill-effects have been felt: <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;papers.ssrn.com&#x2F;sol3&#x2F;papers.cfm?abstract_id=926204" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;papers.ssrn.com&#x2F;sol3&#x2F;papers.cfm?abstract_id=926204</a><p>Another 2005 studies also suggests that patent thickets do not prevent the creation of young firms, and the use of patents may actually help startups: <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;papers.ssrn.com&#x2F;sol3&#x2F;papers.cfm?abstract_id=510103" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;papers.ssrn.com&#x2F;sol3&#x2F;papers.cfm?abstract_id=510103</a><p>On the other hand, this 2006 study finds that product areas with patent thickets see fewer new entrants: <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.nber.org&#x2F;papers&#x2F;w12563" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.nber.org&#x2F;papers&#x2F;w12563</a> -- Interestingly, this paper also finds that startups with patents of their own are much more likely to enter a patent-infested product area.