I'm not a fan of software patents, but one of those linked in the article is the first software patent that gave me pause (patent 7620565). Most software paten

I'm not a fan of software patents, but one of those linked in the article is the first software patent that gave me pause (patent 7620565). Most software patents I read consist of "apply <canned algorithm x> to <situation y>". This one doesn't read like that. I think it's very important that this patent is pure fluff - it does not actually keep you from producing a good product in any given field. The patent was filed in 2006. From my recollection, I can't think of any websites or devices that used this sort of feature before 2006. Today it seems fairly common, but in tech people are so used to blindly copying features (because its so easy to do after someone else has already done all the research) that I can't rightly say this innovation didn't originate with the inventor. All the devices used by potential infringers involving this patent existed for years prior to the filing of this patent, which to me says its not as easy to dismiss as obvious. The patent was also created by someone who seems to be focused on inventing things. People rail against software trolls because they don't produce an actual product, but if the inventor could not license or sell this patent, this fairly common feature might not exist today. Because of all the above, this isn't a patent I would point to as an example of why we need to abolish software patents. That said, I'm still not a fan of software patents, and think abolishing them would be a net good.