Note that the Data Retention Directive was adopted in 2005 mostly due to pressure from the UK Labour government. Initially it was claimed to be anti-terrorist; those claims were then amended to anti-crime and anti-paedophile.

It's most probably aimed at quelling the civil disturbances that some authorities see as an inevitable part of our chaotic post-carbon future.

It's been said already:
"English is the Linux of human languages. Open source, fully remixable, endlessly rich. (June 2011, by Pieter Hintjens)"

You miss the point here, which is that international treaties such as the Berne Convention and TRIPS are written and promoted into law by (US and European) copyright lobbies. So it's nice and circular. US law says A, so $$$ creates international law that says B, and now US law regretfully changes to say B. This tactic is also used by governments when they want to pass really unpopular legislation, e.g. the data retention directive in Europe, which was kicked out of the UK Parliament, pushed into EU law by the UK government, and then brought back to the UK without dissent.

IBM filing trivial patents for defensive reasons? Please, that's a joke. Filing a patent does not defend against attack from a troll. You cannot file all possible patents any more than you can claim all possible combinations of letters. A billion patents is still 0% of infinity.

IBM file trivial patents because they make $$$ from patent licenses. The director of the USPTO, Dave Kappos, was chief patent lawyer at IBM. It is a pure case of regulatory capture. IBM *own* the US patent system, file 50% of all software patents, and use this as a mainstay of their business plan.

Actually I have that laptop, it's my main portable right now. If you think this looks like a MBP, you have a rather vivid imagination.

Here are some better photos of the Series 3 12.5" incher: http://www.samsung.com/us/computer/laptops/NP350U2B-A01US-gallery.

Samsung has always been a "fast follower", but if you look at what they actually do, it's take existing designs and make them better: faster, more reliable, cheaper. This is, like it or not, how *all* innovation happens. Do you think Apple invented the concept of "computer" or "phone" or "mp3 player" or "tablet"? So it really is just a matter of degree. All Apple devices are essentially copies, with minor refinements. And Samsung do make extraordinarily good hardware. Apple also do, but they charge too much for it, and they lock you in.

that if anyone complains of my obnoxious behavior, I can cite them for violating Microsoft's patent claims. Microsoft, can I please get a license?

Yes, it's quite simple. Take existing models that work, copy those. Use science, not philosophy. Fashion, food, open source. Industries that are incredibly innovative and where ideas are properly treated as worthless. It's execution that counts, not ideas. Here's an idea: "send a man to the moon". Now execute that.

To suggest that innovation needs patents is like suggesting reproduction needs divorce lawyers.

So kindly point to any argument in my blog on patents that you consider "ignorant" rather than making blanket dismissals. If you don't know "where to start to tear it apart", you're showing the emptiness of your position. Patent (not "intellectual property") laws protect big business, which is why the only ones lobbying for them are big business.

The solution is legally enforced sharing of knowledge. That is, you can steal anyone's ideas and they can steal yours right back. This is how the fashion industry works and the notion that "big guys will steal your precious ideas" is shown to be bogus. The state should enforce mandatory share-alike on every aspect of technology. The large firms will complain they have no motive to invest. Fine, allow the small ones to.

Actually I'd conclude that patents are a main cause that innovation has stagnated in the last 20 years. Innovation depends on sharing knowledge.

What I really wonder is whether the strangulation of research will put our survival at risk at a time in history when we need to be smarter than ever about how we use energy, land, water, and raw materials? Why patents are evil.