But you're in for a nasty surprise. And then suddenly it hits you. That's just the point. The PTO has handed out thousands of patents for trivial software techniques that any developer working independently would discover.
Little attempt is made to determine prior art.
Increasingly, the agency is granting patents for obvious techniques that wouldn't surprise a 'Net-savvy sixth grader, let alone an expert. Complete story . Mail this story Printer version Return to today's headlines . There are 31 talkbacks posted. Post your comments using the form below.