>And there's not much money in suing small companies, so it's not worth it. This is too simplistic. The patent system is the way it is because big companies l

>And there's not much money in suing small companies, so it's not worth it. This is too simplistic. The patent system is the way it is because big companies like it that way. The reason they like it that way is they can strangle any nascent competition with patent lawsuits before that competition has a chance to grab market share. And it doesn't even matter whether or not the claim is valid - small companies can't afford to defend themselves, whether or not they win in court. The point of suing a small company for patent infringement isn't to collect money, it's to put that company out of business.