Would they? The few times I've had a conversation with people in software on the topic, the conclusion has been they shouldn't exist. At all. I'd venture to su

Would they? The few times I've had a conversation with people in software on the topic, the conclusion has been they shouldn't exist. At all. I'd venture to suggest that most software patents are the obvious way of doing something. Even having read some attempts to justify them I see no merits in patents for XOR cursors, online auctions or shopping carts.