In this Sunday’s gospel Jesus criticizes the Pharisees for fulfilling the letter but not the spirit of the divine law such as Moses handed down in the first reading. In the wake of a billion-dollar verdict in a high-stakes patent infringement battle between technology heavyweights Samsung Electronics and Apple Inc., critics complain the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office grants too many patents and say patent litigation is clogging the courts. One federal judge recently threw out a high-profile case, saying the patent system was in "chaos."

Many have questioned whether such complex cases can be decided by juries, while lawyers and judges warn that mounting patent litigation—including cases that encompass everything from smartphones to videogame consoles—will mean mounting costs for consumers.

"Software patents are clogging the system at every possible point," said Christal Sheppard, an assistant professor of law at the University of Nebraska College of Law. "This could be the bellwether case that goes to the Supreme Court to decide what invention in the 21st century really means for software."

Jurors Friday found that Samsung infringed all but one of the seven patents at issue in the case. If upheld on appeal, the verdict could shape how smartphones and tablets are designed as well as the fortunes of companies that make them. Analysts say Apple's legal campaign is partly aimed at trying to beat back the gangbuster growth of Android, the operating system created by Google Inc. which is used by Samsung and other device makers. In the second quarter, Android phones—which are produced by many phone makers—represented 68 percent of smartphone shipments, while Apple's represented 17 percent, according to market research firm IDC.

Source: An article by Jessica E. Vascellaro for the Wall Street Journal