Patent, Patent, Who's Got The Patent?

Google Acquires 1,000 IBM Patents; Trying to Navigate 'Mess' of Tech Industry Infringement Suits - International Business Times. In the "Hide the Ball" game, software company style, the winner is the one who dies with the most patents. I suppose that patent lawyers can make sense of the complexities of patents, and patent descriptions, and the rest of it. I, however, wish that companies would focus more on innovation and less on litigation. There, I said it. In my world, fewer lawyers would have jobs. Ouch. But, the recent purchase, by Google, of 1,000 IBM patents, including one for a "System and method of Using Data Mining Prediction Methodology", will assist Google and its partners in the ongoing litigation with Apple, which is challenging the Android OS. I suspect that one or more of these new patents will be used in CounterClaims against Apple, and that the litigation will have little or no effect on the consumer experience. It is important that more than one company be on the software and hardware playing field. Competition is about two players or teams. So, Google doesn't have a choice; it must play the patent owning game, and must use the patents to compete. However, if Apple needs to file lawsuits to compete, what does that say about their products?