It is called, in a derogatory way, "patent troll": that is, the interested use of legal devices that protect property rights. This time the highest body of US justice agreed with the small Canadian company I4i, which had called into question the famous Word software (Microsoft), accusing it of having violated one of its licences. And so the Redmond big will have to pay out 290 million dollars. A pronouncement, that of the Court, which could have cluster effects on other similar events: where the big companies seem to have everything to lose.