A look at yesterday's news reveals that patents are gradually (yet quickly) losing their relevance. Along with their declining status, one should expect the relentless FUD to be far less effective. Consider these:

New business model: Reverse Patent Trolling

Want an eight-figure check in time for Christmas shopping? Sure you do. Microsoft's vague patent threats against Linux create an opportunity to do a nifty variation on the patent trolling business model.

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Naturally, Microsoft, in order to win, needs to keep the actual list of patents secret.

So, shall one be scared at all? Consider the following interesting development as well:

Raytheon inventions are programs and not patentable

The High Court has backed the Comptroller General of Patents in refusing a company a patent for inventions which were computer programs.

This just confirms what we already know. A known beg-for-traffic troll (Murphy) takes a look at some of the arguments as well:

So, bottom line: is software mathematical? Yes on the science based side, No on the data processing side.

If you are not familiar with the term "beg-for-traffic troll", have a look at this new short article:

Do not feed the troll

Linux people tend to look up and understand technical issues, and even legal ones such as the differences between patent, copyright, and trademark. If you've been reading Linux sites and software licenses for a while, you pick up the basics. And magazines don't hire fact checkers any more, and if a magazine pays a columnist less, doesn't edit his work, and calls it a "blog" they can hold it to a lower standard of quality anyway.

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Please. Do not feed the troll. Comment forms equal hits and money. If you must respond, email the publication's editor (be sure to put in "NOT FOR PUBLICATION") and post your comments--use "nofollow" links if you choose to link--on your own blog or on a competing site. The Mainstream IT Media is becoming more and more driven by raw traffic numbers, and as editors see good results from trolling, they'll tend to rely on it more.

This one particular item from Murphy isn't a good one, but we mentioned ones that stood out in the past.