Patents and "Patent Wars" in Wireless Communications: An Economic Assessment

We examine various conceptual issues raised by the “patent wars” that have occurred in recent years in telecommunications. We conclude that “patent wars” are the natural consequence of the multi-invention nature and massive growth of the industry and the probabilistic and non-self-enforcing nature of patents with the resulting uncertainty about patent validity and infringement, and that concerns about patents have not precluded the successful development and deployment of telecommunications standards or the massive commercial success of new telecommunications technology.