The expanding number and scope of patents relating to game technology will be discussed in the context of what motivates inventors to seek and then enforce patents. Representative patents will be considered using a PowerPoint display of portions of actual patents and complaints in federal cases. The steps that can be taken by developers and publishers to increase their sensitivity to patent risks and their ability to detect and avoid the claims of patent owners will form the core of the lecture. Illustrations will be given based on actual cases or game-industry hypotheticals. The presentation will assess the enduring debate whether ignorance of a patent is bliss (or, in this context, a viable legal defense).