Yep, the US 'justice system' is as market driven as everything else in the country. More money=more 'justice' but lack of money = lack of 'justice'.
This applies everywhere, not just technology. Hallmark cards noticed that Sandra Boynton's cards were selling very well, so they just copied the style for a special line of their own cards. She sued, but simply ran out of steam in court. Her small company couldn't sustain the case through the appeals process and Hallmark, the 'Microsoft' of the greeting cards business, successfully took what they wanted.
In fact it's even worse in the technology sector because of the complete lack of standards for patents on software. There is no test for 'originality' anymore. Anyone who can afford to file the patent can claim simple methods of programming taught in standard textbook as their 'intellectual property'. Rich companies like Microsoft can afford to pay lawyers to file all sorts of ridiculous patents and then when they see some new technology company appear with something they want they just find something in their product which they have '0wned' and file suit against
them... and either they get a settlement 'deal' where the start-up gives them a license to use their new techniques/ideas, or they get the whole schmear when the smaller company dies from the burden of the legal bills and loses the case by default. It's now impossible to break into the computer business because of this abuse of the patent system. Anything new is eaten by the good-old-boys very quickly.
[ March 31, 2004, 20:18: Message edited by: Baron Munchausen ]