OT-Patents

So, who gets the money in the lawsuits? If it's just the lawyers who found the "offending" products, then they are doing a really great public service - right? NOT. That's just ambulance chasing without even having to chase ambulances, and without anyone getting hurt (until after the suit). (Insert your favorite diatribe against lawyers here - I prefer Shakespeare's comment.)

I can agree that a manufacturer has no right to mark a product with a false patent number, but if they actually were awarded a patent for an invention, why not let them crow about it; even after the protection has expired, the patent they were awarded continues to exist. I know that, because I've looked up patents from the 19th century to see how the old scientific devices in my collection were "superior" to their competition. Usually some small detail that seems rather trivial.

Joe