>> In other words, billion dollar companies get all the SW patents. > All? No, they only get patents for those things that they invent. As I pointed out, the

>> In other words, billion dollar companies get all the SW patents. > All? No, they only get patents for those things that they invent. As I pointed out, the "extensive publication" requirement is a significant obstacle for everyone else, so they won't get SW patents. Thus, all of the SW patents go to big companies. > The something obnoxious like the famed "one click" patent "obnoxious"? That's your objection to one click? What's wrong with novelty/prior art and non-obvious? In every other field, recognizing that there is a problem and patenting a broad-swath of mechanisms to solve it is considered good. Why is software different? And yes, I'm familiar with James Bessen's work. I introduced his EE380 talk at Stanford.