[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Patent system is a mess...SCO started all this.....

[thinkthenpost]

I strongly disagree Ernest, I think SCO was a symptom. IIRC Amazon has sued others concerning patent infringement concerning Amazon's "One Click" and other socalled technologies and business innovations. IMO IBM very likely holds very similar patents that predate Amazon's and again IMO IBM probably would have let sleeping dogs lie, but when Amazon began its suitfest IBM decided, 1 you aren't going to sue claiming our stuff as yours, and 2 you won't be enriched by our stuff if we aren't also. In other words Amazon should get any awards in court for claiming someone was using Amazon's ideas when those ideas were actually IBM's first.
I hope IBM cleans their clock, I am not fond of the business model patent.

[Golden Eagle]

SCO started all this.....

ROFL!

[Golden Eagle]

I guess this other patent lawsuit IBM recently filed is SCO's fault too LMAO.

http://www.channelweb.com/sections/allnews/article.jhtml?articleId=196601593&cid=ChannelWebNews

[FYREDEUS]

Patent system is not just a "mess" it's a JOKE.

Basically just take an OBVIOUS idea and dress it up in technobabble and or legalese that it doesnt look quite as obvious as it really is to some razzledazzled braindead schmuck in the Patent office and you get to extort money from anyone else who had the same OBVIOUS idea but got to the patent office a minute later...or better yet to extort CROSS-LICENSING rights instead.

ABOLISH all patents and you'd see human progress SKYROCKET overnight.

[TChris]

Patent system is a mess...SCO started all this.....

Umm... No. Software patents were a Very Bad Idea to begin with, IMO. Existing copyright law would have sufficed.