Technology companies have unleashed a flurry of lawsuits in courts around the world, each claiming that some function violates a patent.
"It comes down to innovation and you have to decide what can you copy and what can you not copy," said technology analyst Elias Makos.
"If I take my iPhone here and I use my finger to slide to unlock, is that something you can patent?"
Makos discusses the issue with Paul Karwatsky in an interview you can watch by clicking the video player to the right.
