I want software for creating digital art that doesn't require me to grant the software creator (Adobe) rights to my work. The Terms of Service for Adobe Photoshop have gotten out of hand. Maintaining Adobe's patent based monopoly in the face of market forces may be beyond the capability of their legal department in the near future. Adobe owns 8,222 active patents. Their ownership of many standard digital art tools like cropping (US20150278986A1) and snapping (US10061496B2) have made competition nearly impossible. Despite being expensive ($59.99/month), Adobe has generally offered quality software with a fair deal. However, if they act on their most recent required terms, that fairness may change in many people's eyes. What are the possible avenues competitors can pursue to get consumers alternatives to Photoshop? • Could a judgment force Adobe to sell patent licenses to competitors like Affinity Photo? • How do anti-monopoly securities and exchange laws reconcile with pro-monopoly intelectual property laws? • Can Free Open Source software effectively ignore software patents by being moneyless? • In addition to Alphabet, Apple and Nvidia, which companies own enough software patents to denture Adobe from harassing them out of the marketplace?
I want software for creating digital art that doesn't require me to grant the software creator (Adobe) rights to my work.
The Terms of Service for Adobe Photoshop have gotten out of hand.
Maintaining Adobe's patent based monopoly in the face of market forces may be beyond the capability of their legal department in the near future.
Adobe owns 8,222 active patents.
Their ownership of many standard digital art tools like cropping (US20150278986A1) and snapping (US10061496B2) have made competition nearly impossible.
Despite being expensive ($59.99/month), Adobe has generally offered quality software with a fair deal.
However, if they act on their most recent required terms, that fairness may change in many people's eyes.
What are the possible avenues competitors can pursue to get consumers alternatives to Photoshop?
• Could a judgment force Adobe to sell patent licenses to competitors like Affinity Photo?
• How do anti-monopoly securities and exchange laws reconcile with pro-monopoly intelectual property laws?
• Can Free Open Source software effectively ignore software patents by being moneyless?
• In addition to Alphabet, Apple and Nvidia, which companies own enough software patents to denture Adobe from harassing them out of the marketplace?