Little company sues Apple, Microsoft, Google

Cygnus Systems Inc. is a little startup in Michigan that was recently awarded a patent for thumbnail previews of files that was pending since back in 2001. Its response has been to go for legal action against the deepest pockets in the industry that use similar features in their operating systems: Apple, Microsoft and Google.

No one seems particularly worried. Apple, Microsoft and Google have plenty of legal clout and aren't likely to be brought to their knees by a David of Cygnus' stature.

But perhaps this is more evidence that the American intellectual property system is in serious need of an overhaul. Besides considerations of how long it takes to process patents, if they are going to continue to give legal control over ideas that others will inevitably come up with too and result in legal skirmishes that benefit no one, there must be something seriously wrong.