Last week we told you about a survey of in-house lawyers that found spending on patent litigation to be falling like a rock. Now The Recorder is telling us tech companies are more determined than ever to fight patent infringement suits. What gives?

Eleven amici are backing Microsoft's argument that patents should be easier to break.

Microsoft seriously doesn't like to lose. So after failing in its first attempt to persuade the Federal Circuit to overturn the $290 million judgment against it, the software giant is rolling out Ted Olson and Thomas Hungar to help change the appellate court's view.

Everyone knows that fuel prices tend to go up in the summer. But are consumers in warmer states also getting less gas than they're (over)paying for? That's what a class of gas purchasers alleged in five-year-old consolidated litigation over "hot fuel" that settled on Friday.