You don't like the Leafs?

The entire patent system is unsuitable for today's environment. I don't know the specifics of this case, but in general the system needs an overhaul.

I am (to my regret) on Microsoft's side here. The patent in question is vague and shouldn't have been granted. Also there was prior art which should invalidate the patent.

Also, per:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_re_Bilski

patents on pure software processes aren't legal. I HATE software patents as companies patent hundreds of obvious ideas, wait for some of them to be used by a major IT company then jump on them and sue them for $$$. Microsoft has used software patents to threaten Linux for example, and software patents mean you CAN'T LEGALLY PLAY MP3s without paying a ~$15 license fee to some company. You might not think you paid it, but it's included in the cost of Windows with every PC. But without these illegal patents you wouldn't have to pay.

Software patents are only in the US, but American companies export the consequences of them to other countries.

Only if his dog is named Square-Enix.

Worse yet, I find it amazing MSDOS was legal at all. It was a direct source code rip off of CP/M (MSDOS at the time was called Quick and Dirty OS). Only more limited and handicapped than CP/M was at the time.

Without MSDOS the industry could have looked a lot different than it is today.

However I am not fond of US patent laws (at least regarding the obvious, old and trivial), but copyright is of course a serious issue. US patents are also an issue regarding overseas R&D, what if every tiny little country in the world would introduce this system...

Yeah... we'd be using PowerPC CPUs and some form of Unix.

can anybody say O_o

this may lead to a 30$ or no price cut from MS this year instead of there usual 50$

4 season now without playoffs?.. *sigh*  Yes I dont like them...

My dog's name is Squeenix. O.o

@peshkavus

4 years huh? That is how I felt for a while as a Penz fan.

Your day is coming.

LOL