It seems like you can't read about tech news without running across news about one company suing another for patent infringement. Just last week, Apple was granted a patent for the slide to unlock feature which is also a feature in most smartphones. What this means is that Apple can now sue other phone and tablet manufacturers for using the slide to unlock feature and we can reasonably expect a new spate of patent infringement cases from this development in addition to all the lawsuits flying around from every major tech company.

Tech companies have always been protective over their patents but it's only recently that companies have been more cutthroat. Apple and Samsung are locked in a patent infringement lawsuit case that spans countries and courts. In August Google openly accused Microsoft and Apple of using patents to cut down its competitors. Suddenly patents had become a war of attrition for companies and no one seems to care about the cost to the consumer.

The influx of patent wars is damaging to both the company and the consumer. These tech titans have the resources to pursue their cases to the bitter end. They can and will spend money that should have been better used for innovation than on legal fees. Not only are the tech companies focusing on the wrong thing, these patent cases can bring down a company by banning it from a country. Samsung and Apple are primary examples of this. Apple's banned Samsung products from being sold in Australia and Europe.

The real victim here in these corporate shenanigans is the consumer. Instead of spending their time innovating devices that are better and cheaper than their current offerings, tech companies are locked in petty lawsuits. Not only will it drive prices up for consumers but patent disputes could also push away any small innovative companies from ever producing new technology. What can small companies do when bigger companies lay down the patent law against them?

Patent disputes are damaging and stunt technological innovation. The big tech companies shouldn't resort to such tit-for-tat patent suits and instead refocus their attention on developing their own products. No matter how many lawsuits one company wins against another the ultimate loser in the patent wars are the consumers who have to bear the brunt of this costly war.