patents now expire in 20 years, so http://www.google.com/patents?vid=6285999 http://www.google.com/patents?vid=6285999 expires in 2018. agreed, however, that t

patents now expire in 20 years, so http://www.google.com/patents?vid=6285999 http://www.google.com/patents?vid=6285999 expires in 2018. agreed, however, that the world will be so vastly different by then that this won't be as significant as, say, the rsa or lzw expirations (unless google's lawyers get their teeth into anything).