Finally, perhaps, someone will do something about the swamping of the Patent and Trademark Office with frivolous applications. (Perhaps applying Fed. R. Civ. P. 11, or something similar, would help…) It's rather ironic that I found out about something in the U.S. patent system by monitoring the BBC.

The real problem, though, is the so-called "business method patent." But that is a long discussion for another time, perhaps in front of an audience without the good sense (or, if in a classroom, the option) to walk out.