Ok, patents are important. They allow those of us who create unique and non-obivious real world actual items to profit from their efforts for a fixed period of time before allowing the rest of the world unfettered access to that knowledge. That is, as I understand it, the basic idea.
Instead you get crap like patenting pieces of the human genetic code (something discovered, not invented, and certainly not unique), software patents (look ma, I patented the IDEA of accessing a computer storage media with a computer) and other stupid stupid stupid things.
Then I saw this and practically screamed in frustration at the sheer stupidity of this. I mean, seriously, McDonalds wants to patent the process of making a Sandwich. I mean, for God’s sake, what is unique about the sandwich? Its been around for more than a few years. And what the heck is non obvious about the sandwich. If this patent actually makes it, then this is one of the loudest cries yet for patent reform.
Excuse me while I go write a patent for the “A process by which remaining fecal material is removed from the area around my anus by use of small square shaped pieces of light gauge low grade paper products”. Arg!
