He clearly wouldn't describe himself as such, and would see himself as the good guy. Assholes never think of themselves as assholes. If they're assholes in a

He clearly wouldn't describe himself as such, and would see himself as the good guy. Assholes never think of themselves as assholes. If they're assholes in a socially acceptable manner, then they see themselves as simply following the crowd. If they're assholes in a legally acceptable manner, they see themselves as hacking the system. If they're assholes in a manner most people detest, they may either not care, or see themselves as crusaders bringing truth to the unwashed masses. Myhrvold is an asshole in all three senses. He's a patent troll who games the system; he brings harm to everyone by "protecting business interests", and he likely sees himself as a crusader against the evils of copyright infringement perpetrated by those who are too ignorant to know better. In short, he's a grade A asshole, but he likely views himself as unjustly persecuted and justified in his actions.