Didn't know this to be the case....but sounds good to me.

"Many management people are not aware of changes in patent law that allows triple damages. A company is legally responsible for knowing about current patents, either granted or pending. Ignorance is not an acceptable excuse. They can be forced to pay up to triple damages and your attorney fees under certain conditions. Punitive damages are usually awarded for willful patent infringement.

Juries tend to take a dim view of companies stealing from individual inventors. They are especially sympathetic when the company is large or foreign owned. If polite persuasion didn't work it does not hurt to play hardball. It is very important that you understand both your and your adversary’s strengths and weaknesses before you get into an all out war. "

http://inventors.about.com/library/weekly/aa052497infringers.htm