Buzz, if you look at how long it takes after you file a patent, to have it issued, you can see why we are years ahead of the competition. Case in point:
Patent 8,173,959
Patent filed Nov 17,2007
Patent granted/issued may 8. 2012
Patent 8,353,223
Patent filed may 14, 2008
Patent granted/issued January 15th 2013
Patent 8,469,295
Patent filed Jan 18, 2007
Patent granted/issued June 25, 2013
In the grand scheme of things, no Company is going to introduce a product to the marketplace, without patent protection. Even if S/M found a way to get around these patents a year ago, it would still take years before they could get the patents to introduce similar products.