Fascinating article about how patent infringement is affecting the mobile phone operating system landscape.

The Rise of Android and why it could be about to Crumble

As a consumer, I understand people don’t like the prices of things being higher because of patent fees, but seems like the crux of this story is that Microsoft and Apple ( and others ) invested in the mobile phone market early and developed something innovative. Isn’t that the point of the patent system and, if Microsoft if making money off those innovations, isn’t that fair. If some “little” guy out there had developed the same thing, I think people would be pulling for them.

Perhaps the real unfairness in the system is that there is some “little” guy out there that had the same ideas ( and maybe even patents ), but not the resources to play the patent litigation game (often called the sport of kings in the legal world because it is so expensive )

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