Chief Executive: How Lenovo Navigates The Patent Gauntlet

Most people have no idea of the patent roadblocks their smartphones have to go through before they ever reach the hands of consumers.

Take my company Lenovo, a $50 billion technology enterprise that is one of the world’s top makers of smartphones, tablets, personal computers, and other smart gadgets. We spend tens of millions of dollars each year to patent our innovations. Yet despite all our diligent patenting efforts, Lenovo is still forced to run a gauntlet of patent claims from others.

Most PC and mobile phone companies operating in the U.S. face