I don't see how this is different today. If you're a small guy with a patent trying to bring to market a physical product before a giant...good luck with that.

I don't see how this is different today. If you're a small guy with a patent trying to bring to market a physical product before a giant...good luck with that. I can think of several examples where a large company stuns the development of a technology just because they can (3D printing, LCD monitors, electric cars, e-ink). Can you give me some examples from today where a startup used the patents as a sufficient moat to get to success? There are many successful startups, I am referring to specifically some that were protected by patents. Even if you do, the second you do it and it sells, it gets copied in China faster that you can say IP.