3dknerd,
your opinion is welcome as is that of anyone who has taken the time to review the company, it's products, patents, etc.
I appreciate you feel this a social issue and on that I agree.
What I think you missed is that Patents are not forever and are an important protection afforded to those that create/innovate and move society forward. It is meant to stimulate growth and allow the creator/inventor to firstly recoup their expenses then anyone who sees a way to enhance their creation/innovation to license it.
In this way the initial party gets compensated for their efforts as does anyone who licensed it.
What has happened here is a license was offered and ATVI felt they didn't need to pay for the ability to use the patented creation.
This is why Treble Damages are possible.
ATVI knows they have infringed and have tried at every level to crush WDDDs using their influence and cash rich position to deny justice (Bungie PTAB current issue included).
You may disagree but this is the system both companies exist in called the United States of America which is based on this system and has become the Intellectual Property Capital of the World because of it.
To allow power and influence to override afforded justice in the system is corruption.
Allowing ATVI to win with overwhelming evidence of infringement is a miscarriage of justice and has a detrimental impact on the fostering of new tech in the US.
If this helps... picture you created an algorithm that allowed a company to enhance their online advertising by 5000% which has a huge financial impact on anyone who could employ it. Trouble is, you don't have direct access to the group of users so you try to license it to a popular browser. You approach one of these companies who is blown away by your Algo but decides they won't license it. They go ahead and employ work work which is considered pirated by most.
A) If you had had a patent, you would've had the confidence to approach the Browser Co with your Algo thinking you were protected and the means to get justice if they tried to pirate your work.
B) Without a patent, you would risk never having anyone stand with you in your fight for justice and are completely at the mercy of the Browser Co,
As a creator... why would you bother sharing your invention in scenario B)?
Without protection why would we create? The USSR used a pencil in Space... the US developed leading edge tech to write upside down in Zero gravity.
Take a look at both countries today. Smart people keep emigrating to the US to monetize their creations...Russia? Not so much.
We as a whole benefit when we move social benefits forward.
We need to support those who need our help defending their work.
We are the best place in the World for innovation and we need to protect that.
Hope that helps expand on your social impact viewpoint.
