[jhdevos]

I think when smaller companies have patents, they tend to be closely related to their core business, and they have them precisely in order to use them 'offensively' - or, in other words, to protect their core business from companies that want to 'copy' them.

In principle, that is sort of what the patent system was intended for. (I still don't agree with it, but that's another story).

[e40]

I don't think smaller companies can be offensive with patents, because they don't have the money to litigate. Maybe your definition of small and mine are different, though. I'm thinking of < $10M/yr. In that case, I don't believe a company of that size would have the resources to go after alleged infringers.

[nfc]

Yes, I suppose for this system to work companies'd have to commit some non core patents, that would be the "price to pay" for the insurance the system provides.

I've never applied for a patent, mostly for ethical reasons since I don't believe in the system the way it's structured right now but it has always seemed to me that getting a few patents was not so difficult for someone with a bit of "innovation capacity".