By David Pridham and Brad Sheafe

The patent system has gotten a pretty poor reputation of late, especially among startup businesses that have been targeted by patent trolls hoping to extort quick settlements. But entrepreneurs would be well-served to remember that even if the occasional troll can game the system to harm a vulnerable young company, patents themselves are often quite valuable—if not critical—to a startup’s success.

Here are the top 10 reasons why your startup needs patents.