SAN FRANCISCO — Yahoo Inc. headed to trial in Texas on Monday against patent holding company Creative Internet Advertising Corp. — and if it feels like the very first time, it’s because the last time the Internet company rolled the dice in a patent case was four long years ago.

But facing 25 patent infringement lawsuits, up from four in 2007, Yahoo has decided to fight some cases all the way to the courtroom, instead of just settling.