Patent thicket

A patent thicket is like a big jungle where people can't go through easily because of a lot of trees and obstacles in the way. In this case, the trees are patents that protect different ideas or inventions. Just like a jungle, it's hard to navigate through a patent thicket because so many patents are protecting different parts of a product or process that it's hard for anyone to make something new without stepping on someone else's patent toes.

For example, imagine you want to invent a new type of phone. But there are already lots of patents out there that protect different aspects of phone technology, like the camera, the screen, and the operating system. It's like a big jungle of patents all surrounding the phone industry, and it’s challenging for someone to make a new phone without infringing on someone else's patents.

A patent thicket can also make it difficult for small companies or inventors to enter a market because they might not have the resources to license or buy all of the patents they need. Instead, they might have to spend a lot of time and money fighting lawsuits from patent holders.

So, a patent thicket is like a tangled jungle of patents that make it difficult for people to create something new or enter a market, like trying to walk through a jungle without getting caught on tree branches and vines.