[citation][nom]TheCapulet[/nom]This is one of the cases that has nothing to do with the US patent system, and instead has everything to do with overzealous patent holders and money hungry get-paid-either-way lawyers. Should this case actually end up it the courtroom, it doesn't tell the story of the patent system's incompetence (though it's noteworthy all on it's own), but instead the shining competence of the litigation lawyers and the epic incompetence of the defense lawyers. We'll hear next year that it finally made it's way to a judge, where everyone involved was promptly thrown out of his courtroom.[/citation]
It has everything to do with the patent system, because obvious shit like this should not be patent-able. You are supposed to patent new novel ideas, which really never exist anymore.
Patents are supposed to stop people from using your stuff as a frame of reference to make their own thing.
Which by itself is silly, it basically is like 5 year olds not wanting the guy sitting next to them to learn about building legos by watching him build a lego set.