In the heart of Silicon Valley, there are no shortages of high-stakes “patent turf wars” between industry leaders in Internet and technology. For certain industry titans, billions of dollars and the potential for a compounding ripple effect on consumers are riding on the outcomes of two patent infringement cases in the Northern District: Oracle v. Google and Yahoo v. Facebook. Coinciding with these “Megatron” cases are countless other patent infringement cases, which have once again placed patent litigation in the forefront of IP discussions. Critics of nonpracticing entities and the oppressive nature of big technology patent laws see these lawsuits as roadblocks for small business and competition rather than legitimate protection of intellectual property. Mark Cuban, infamous American business magnate and investor, more popularly known for his antics on the Dallas Mavericks’ sideline, states on Blogmaverick.com:
“Change is needed. However, it’s not going to come from our government. The lobbyists have taken over. One of the symptoms of the illness patents have caused the technology industry is the explosion of lobbyists pushing the agenda of big patent portfolio holders. They are not going to let our lawmakers give an inch.”
