Take Bharti Airtel, an Indian telecoms giant, which last year spun off a $1 billion minority stake in its network-infrastructure business, Bharti Infratel, to a group of investment funds.
Morgan Stanley, a big investment bank, has bought stakes in three groups, Avenue Capital, FrontPoint Partners and Lansdowne, at a total cost believed to be more than $1 billion.
That ruling produced an explosion in business-method patent filings, initially by emerging internet companies trying to stake out exclusive rights to specific types of online transactions.
At stake are tens of billions of dollars and Japan's national pride but for athletes a lifetime of dedication hangs in balance as does their mental well being.