Essentially it went down like this:
MS> Android infringes some of our patents, but if you pay our fee, you can use it.
Potential licensee> What patents does Android infringe?
MS> You'll need to sign an NDA for further discussion.

Companies sign the NDA, and then they're legally obligated not to comment on the specific patents. Microsoft likely doesn't actually expect to win this one. Microsoft expects to send a message that they're willing to enter costly litigation, which would likely be more expensive and more of a hassle than simply paying the licensing fee.

Fuzzyfuzzyfungus got it exactly right. The Supreme Court basically ruled that video games are to be afforded the same protections as books, movies, TV shows, music and works of art, because video games are a legitimate form of creative expression (seriously, play the original Deus Ex and tell me that doesn't qualify.) California can't discriminate against violent video games because California also can't discriminate against violent books, TV shows, movies, paintings and what have you.

That kind of move is a deal-breaker for me. I don't buy games often, but when I do, this is precisely the sort of thing that puts a game on my "do not ever buy" list. And it puts Capcom firmly on my "do not buy" list.

Actually, one of the lead Peppermint developers is also the lead developer for the LXDE and Fluxbox editions of Mint, and is (to the best of my knowledge) a member of the Mint team.

In other words, it's neither a rip-off nor an homage: it's practically a fork, and future development will likely occur alongside Mint.

I'm not an expert in this field, but it would surprise me greatly if there were Free templates of the sort you seek. For starters, most business law is governed by state law rather than federal law, so the requirements will depend in large part on where you are incorporated.
Second, the sources for those templates would generally be the experts who derive their living from selling that sort of information (i.e. lawyers, accountants, tax firms, etc.) It is in their own financial best interests not to give away that which they need to make their own ends meet. Business law and tax law are very convoluted and generally require quite a bit of specialization.

I can see the possibility of Free tools for W2s and meeting minutes, but I'm skeptical as to the availability of legal and taxation materials. Also, even if they were available, I would go in with both eyes open because as a business owner, you're on the hook for making sure you're using correct and current information, and taxes in particular change with alarming regularity.