My experience with software patents makes me believe that Lander and Zhang, being part of the group that most aggressively pursued patents, are scam artists that should be drummed out of science forever. I actually have to remind myself not to feel hostility toward them.<p>I know it&#x27;s not valid reasoning but it would be almost certainly right in software. I&#x27;m pretty sure software patents are poisoning the whole patent system both from the inside and in public opinion.