There was a time when the attitude among technology companies was innovate. No one lobbied not even Microsoft it seemed like the attitude was getting the government involved was a can of worms best left alone. It seems like that all changed when the we started converging with other industries and the other industries where playing dirty. At which point many of the large companies had no choice to get into the lobbying game and it devolved from there. But that is the issue at hand, if you don't employ the same tactics then other industries have the advantage of legislating you out of business. If you do employ it, you eventually lose your soul and start to become the abuser.
On a side note, the patent wars have a similar parallel. For a long time they where looked at as a form of mutually assured destruction. But someone actually pressed the red button.