Number of patents filed doesn't by itself mean anything. These days, companies have to amass large patent portfolios for defensive purposes, if nothing else.

Number of patents filed doesn't by itself mean anything. These days, companies have to amass large patent portfolios for defensive purposes, if nothing else. Failure to do so would get them sued by their shareholders. The question is to what extent they use their patents aggressively, and how good a case they have when they do so. I don't know the answer in Oracle's case (and I'm no great fan of the company) but again, mere numbers of patents won't tell you that.