This is a great conversation. Cloudflare certainly sees the value of the patent system, we have a number of our own patents that we employ defensively to make sure we can continue to run our business securely.
OK...
> we have a number of our own patents that we employ defensively to make sure we can continue to run our business securely.
Huh? This doesn't support the beginning of the sentence at all. If your only use of patents is defensive, then the system is all cost and no benefit to you. Getting rid of the system would give you all of the "benefits" you currently enjoy. What value are you seeing?
That's not strictly speaking true.
Having and using defensive patents has the advantage of disadvantaging competitors who don't have defensive patents but wish they did.
(Not that this is necessarily what djk44 would like to state as his reason for seeing benefits, just as a general fact)
This is not a compelling argument that the system has any value. "Sure, it's destroying value at our company, but that's fine because it's destroying even more value across the street!"