Alex Blumberg and his colleagues at Planet Money have been spending a lot of time lately looking into patents for software and Internet tools.  First, they went to East Texas, one of the frontlines in what they say is a "war waging right now," that involves developers, tech companies, and so-called "patent trolls."  They aired their findings on This American Life:

This week the Planet Money team asked the larger question that these patent battles brings to mind: what is the intended role of patents and is that role being undermined by the behavior of people in the tech industry? Or, we should say, the Planet Money team asks and answers that question. Take a listen:

For more on Planet Money's ongoing coverage of patents in high tech click here.