[LynnieS]

Originally Posted by chikorita157

However, if these companies are granted these type of patents that is so general, it just proves that the patent system is broken since they shouldn't be granted in the first place, just like Nokia's GSM technology which is used in most cell phones.

I heard awhile back that the U.S. Patent Office was reviewing the process to get rid of (or reduce?) the number of patents granted to processes. Some of those granted earlier like the "One Click Buying" one were rather... unoriginal. I can understand patenting a brilliant idea that, for example, reduces the number of steps involved in making something, but patenting processes got out of hand, IMHO. What happened to that effort anyway?

CA rallies to focus on cutbacks on education

Thousands of students, teachers and parents in California and across the country are expected to stage rallies, demonstrations, walkouts and other actions Thursday to decry what they say is an assault on public education at all levels.

The so-called Day of Action is in response to education funding cuts that have affected schools nationwide, but have been especially severe in California, where public colleges and universities have canceled classes, ordered furloughs and layoffs and enacted unprecedented student fee increases.

On the one hand, you have California with its budget problems, and it can't "solve" them in the same way the U.S. can. Not to mention it has to balance its budget because of Proposition 58, spend a minimum each year on education due to Propositions 98 and 111, and so on. A tough call for those not involved in the debate, IMHO, and a worse one for those who are...