Re:Follow the money (Score 2, Insightful)

And for government much to gain (as with any expansion of government). Even if a government program fails outright, government still gains. This is because government does not generate its revenue through voluntary trade, and thus is not bound to its level of success. (Typically, government programs which fail are rewarded with MORE revenue, rather than eliminated as they would be if they were a voluntary undertaking.)

Hell, the very fact that government is considering these expansions of power is a benefit to government. They don't work for free. I'm sure this is one reason why the issue keeps coming back from the dead: every time it raises its ugly head, government makes a buck.

I would also take issue with the story's wording -- to "legalize" patents doesn't make any sense. The term "legalizing" refers to the de-criminalizing of criminalized acts (typically acts of non-aggression, those which aren't criminal by human nature but only by the arbitrary rule of government). A more sensible term for the story to use would be "imposing".