For the most part the purpose of getting patents is to protect yourself from litigation from other companies. So when they try to sue you go back to them and sa

For the most part the purpose of getting patents is to protect yourself from litigation from other companies. So when they try to sue you go back to them and say, "We might be infringing on this, but we believe you are infringing on our patents X, Y, and Z. How about we call it even and license the patents to each other?" The other benefit is that having a large patent portfolio shows that your company has value to potential buyers.