strictly speaking, in theory, algorithms aren't patentable, only specific implementations of algorithms. In practice, it would seem, lawyers figured out a way t

strictly speaking, in theory, algorithms aren't patentable, only specific implementations of algorithms. In practice, it would seem, lawyers figured out a way to do it with some clever wording. "Method and Apparatus"- You see because the method on its own is not enough to patent you have to include the computer that the algorithm runs on in the patent, in order to patent it.