On Wed, 6 Sep 2000, Steve Sheldon wrote: > > I still cannot figure out who thought it was a good idea to allow for the > patent of mathematical algorithms or business processes. The IP lawyers who run the patent office decided it was a good idea. This way there are more stupid patents and more lawsuits, thus more profit for the patent office and the IP lawyers who run it. It's a blatant conflict of interest of course, having policy about something as important as patents decided by those who stand to directly profit from those decisions. It would be like letting the president decide how long his term is and what his salary is.