Apple And Google Spent More Money On Patent Litigation Than R&D

Posted by Milton Recht:

From Time Business & Money, "Viewpoint: Obama’s 'Patent Troll' Reform: Why Everyone Should Care" by Sam Gustin:

In 2011, Apple and Google spent more money on patent litigation and defensive patent acquisitions than on research and development. That’s not a good sign for the United States economy; in fact, it’s a stark indication that our intellectual property system is broken. Rampant patent litigation is impeding innovation and ultimately increasing the costs of gadgets for consumers, according to legal experts and industry observers.