Intellectual property rights reform

Google's purchase of Motorola Mobility in order to secure a large patent base for defensive litigation is just another in a string of events in the "intellectual property war" raging in the tech and other industries. What is happening is that some companies (in tech Apple has been a big one) are accumulating patents simply for the sake of having those patents and being able to sure other companies and organizations for infringement. This leads to companies like Google to resorting to spending billions of dollars on companies and patents they might not otherwise have purchased. Some people have suggested this use of money is just another reason why companies can't afford to hire right now- they need to spend the money on protecting themselves from these lawsuits. Mark Cuban, owner of the Mavericks, has been pretty vocal about it on his blog of late as well.

So what are everyone's thoughts on IP rights and law in the United States (and elsewhere) right now? How can things be changed if you think they need changing?

michael_dans said:

This indeed is giving hike to the fight for possession, if the big giants are spending so much money then they will have a profit plan also. This is something to be worried about, as it may lead to loss of the identity of the company bought. It is not necessary that working plan of the company puchased goes on uninterrupted.

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Except that it is not always about profit as in the case of Google. It is merely defense to counter lawsuits from those who are abusing the system.