getting stupid? (Score 0)

this patent situation has been stupid for a very, very long time. The computer/tech industry is just now starting to realize what other industries have known for years. Look at pharmaceuticals and biotech, for example. Its an unholy minefield of shitty patents that would take forever to litigate. Companies end up signing cross-lisencing agreements and other such nonsense to get around each other's crap patents. And they just accept it.

Thing is, its not just the USPTO - crappy patents have been allowed all over the world. Do a patent search on microencapsulation some time - its almost funny how much crap has been accepted for process patents that are painfully, painfully commonsense practices. The whole thing has become a farce.