Uhh... Hello!
In case you missed it, The Obama administration, in the U.S., is currently moving quickly to impose a "first to file" system (but, which still accepts "software", and "methods", patents). This new version of the UTTERLY-BROKEN U.S. patent-system is, basically, specifically-designed to completely ignores "prior art", OR "obviousness" and doesn't consider actual "invention" OR "prior use" to be even remotely important.
In fact, this so-called, "patent system reform" is more than half-way through the legislative process. And, Obama has flatly stated that he is champing-at-the-bit to sign it. And, guess who one of the biggest supporters of this new, "modernization" of the patent-system, was... THAT'S RIGHT... Microsoft.
In other news, Microsoft continues frantically buying control of Linux-patents... using shell-companies. And... almost quietly... internal Microsoft documents have, apparently, just been released that absolutely confirm Microsoft's intentional use of "front" companies to fund/prop-up "SCO's" attack/FUD-Campaign against "Linux".
And... all the while... Microsoft continues to file hundreds of mindlessly-trivial, and UTTERLY-BOGUS, "software patents" every year.
So... I guess our IT-company will simply have to dump our Linux investment, and simply renew the Microsoft "licenses" we were abandoning.
But, hey... if it's, "...the law of the land"...