I think you may well be right but your post illustrates the problems with the present system. The ideas you describe are very obvious. The purpose of a patent system is to encourage investment in innovation: none of those ideas require any investment so the rationale for having them protected is extremely weak.

Congratulations on the release. I actually remember CDE with some fondness, the future may be bright but the past definately had a biege or an off-vomit purple tint to it....