I was going to weigh in, but a number of comments already spelled it out. > Richardson's patent, one of many under his name, relates to work he did in the earl

I was going to weigh in, but a number of comments already spelled it out. > Richardson's patent, one of many under his name, relates to work he did in the early 1990s and covers a software registrations system that allows software makers to create try-before-you-buy versions of their work. There's a lot of asinine software patents - like Apple has patented the specific touch screen motions used on the iPhone. They're pretty intuitive motions - there's only so many ways to move your fingers on a screen that make sense. Patents were made to protect inventors and stimulate innovation - patents on obvious evolutions in technology do the opposite.