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'''Elimination of Competition''' Opponents criticize patent pools for the potential of anti-competitive behavior and collusion. According to the World Intellectual Property Organization, "a patent pool may be regarded as a cartel." [http://www.wipo.int/export/sites/www/ip-competition/en/studies/patent_pools_report.pdf (WIPO)] Patent pools potentially create a way for companies to share competitively sensitive information, such as pricing, marketing strategies, or R&D information among its members." [http://www.wipo.int/export/sites/www/ip-competition/en/studies/patent_pools_report.pdf (WIPO)]
'''Licensing Practices''' If a patent pool restricts its members from licensing its patents independently, it lowers the incentive to produce alternatives and inflates the costs of goods or technology for consumers. The Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission state that restrictions on licensing may create "a barrier to entry if existing relationships make it harder for 'new firms to come in and overcome the patent thicket'." [http://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/atr/legacy/2007/07/11/222655.pdf (DOJ)]
