I4i paints a more dire picture. "The implications are gargantuan," said Loudon Owen, chairman of i4i. "The whole system for innovation in this country is predicated on the patent system. If patent rights are eroded to where there's no point in having a patent because you can't enforce it, that will disrupt policy and the practice of disclosure."

The resulting uncertainty could cause some inventors to decide against patenting their technology, which would mean others couldn't license the technology to build on top of, he said.