Patents are often framed as something that protects the small, but in reality it has been a rigged game from the start. For one thing, patent litigation is expensive and risky. It's uncertain whether a given lawsuit will be successful. And one of the risks is invalidating the patent itself, so litigators often will take a deal (and earn less than what would be owed if infringement were found)

Meanwhile big companies can just spam patent applications, amassing a strategic stockpile that makes it less devastating if one of them is invalidated

This whole structure serves the interests of big companies even if they are infringing!