> Okay, then the problem is not software patents, or patents in general, but that they unfairly tip the scales in favor of the big corporations. Agreed. Legal

> Okay, then the problem is not software patents, or patents in general, but that they unfairly tip the scales in favor of the big corporations. Agreed. Legal issues (patents included) tend to favor big corporations because you're more likely to win a case if you spend more money on it. I don't know about all the factors contributing to this, but I think a big one is that law (in the U.S., anyway) is difficult to understand for laypeople, and so you need lawyers to defend you, and the lawyers that cost more have higher success rates.