The Well News: Google’s Monopoly Ruling Reveals a Deeper Threat to Innovation by Randall R. Rader
A recent federal court ruling found that Google violated antitrust laws to maintain an illegal search engine monopoly. While a landmark decision, it is just the tip of the iceberg, exposing a deeper, underlying issue plaguing America’s innovation ecosystem.
The irony is hard to miss. Google, once the scrappy startup that revolutionized internet search, is now deemed a monopolist. This shift from disruptor to stifler of competition and innovation did not happen overnight. It is the result of a series of abusive business practices that involve stealing inventions and blocking inventors from competing in the marketplace.
And Google is not alone in this behavior.
At the core lies a tactic known as “efficient infringement,” which is advocate-speak for intentional, premeditated infringement.
This occurs when large companies deliberately use patented technologies without permission, having determined that the potential profits outweigh the risk of being sued. It is a cold, economic calculation: if the cost of a potential lawsuit is less than the licensing fees or the competitive advantage gained, then infringing becomes the rational business choice. Large companies effectively sideline startups and smaller innovators, stealing their technology and diverting their resources from competition to litigation.