When Three Tribes Go To War

“They are the uber-landlords of the IT industry looking for any
opportunity to lease some floor space, be it in posh upmarket digs
(the patents which are unquestioned innovations) or in inner-city
slums (junk patents bound to be invalidate in their first judicial
test). What makes their model so special is that their tenants have
no idea which one they’re actually paying for.

“…The Oligopolists -The beneficiaries of the status quo. If
Silicon Valley had a gentleman’s club, filled with
over-stuffed leather sofas, seersucker suits and the stench of
Cuban cigars, then these guys would be charter members.
There’s is a genteel world were club members can civilly
discuss their commercial disputes over a single malt whiskey and
resolve them with a handshake and a cross-licensing agreement. And
while cub members like to say their doors are open to those less
well off, the requirements of membership – massive patent
portfolios, the money to pay for a small army of lawyers and
regular appearances at big ticket political fundraising events –
means they can relax in the comfort of knowing they won’t be
initiating new members any time soon.”

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