Taking a break from the typical contentions-driven posts, it was refreshing to see that Twitter is taking a stand about how it intends to use its patent portfolio. The press release provides:

The IPA is a new way to do patent assignment that keeps control in the hands of engineers and designers. It is a commitment from Twitter to our employees that patents can only be used for defensive purposes. We will not use the patents from employees’ inventions in offensive litigation without their permission. What’s more, this control flows with the patents, so if we sold them to others, they could only use them as the inventor intended.

I found this interesting because it shows how that the company is trying to view its patents from an inventor's perspective. If an inventor feels that his or her novel idea was plainly stolen, the inventor may be adamant about seeking redress. This may play well for a jury as well. Although the company has somewhat constrained how it could monetize its portfolio in the future, it has now aligned its interests with those of its inventors' desires for their patents.