Appeals court ruling could be 'death' of software patents
IMO, there's not need for a patent on an algorithm to "allow one window to display partially occluding another" or "method to display multiple items on a drop-down menu".<p>I can understand patenting things like file formats (e.g.: PSD) but general computer operation "controlling tones over a device connected to telephone lines to initiate a connection between a remote computer and a local one" or the more stupid GUI patents or obvious usage patents.<p>I have no problem if they all go away.