The trouble with patents

Many bits have been spilled expounding on the troubles with America's patent system. The bulk of the criticism centers around the granting of overly broad patents for less-than-novel ideas, and the existence of "patent trolls"–organizations that hold a portfolio of patents for the express purpose of suing successful companies.

Here is my contribution to the debate over patent reform: why on earth do illustrations patent applications consist of black and white clip art from the '70s? Are we supposed to be excited about the technology behind GPay on a potential GPhone (which, I definitely don't have any inside information about) when the patent application was designed in ClarisWorks? Even Apple's patent applications look shitty. For reals, guys.

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