Posner Smacks Down Apple and Google...

... and disses the U.S. patent system while he's at it.  From a news report:

A U.S. judge yesterday threw aside a much-anticipated trial between Apple and Google-owned Motorola Mobility over smartphone patents. The decision and a blog comment by the same judge could prove to be a watershed moment for a U.S. patent system that has spiraled out of control.

In his remarkable ruling, U.S. Circuit Judge Richard Posner stated that there was no point in holding a trial because it was apparent that neither side could show they had been harmed by the other’s patent infringement. He said he was inclined to dismiss the case with prejudice — meaning the parties can’t come back to fight over the same patents — and that he would enter a more formal opinion confirming this next week.

There's more in this blog post by Posner, in which he calls the patent system “dysfunctional”.  Well, yes it is – but we haven't often seen insider, influential people like Posner admitting that.  Might we actually do something about it?  What a lovely thought!