Patent idiocy

I wonder how much time and money gets wasted on ridiculous patents, I'm guessing it is in the billions...

Seriously, patents for a touch screen? Five year olds build toys out of legos and pretend they are touch screens, the idea isn't new...

If you come up with some great technology to use touch screens, great, go ahead and make a product that uses it and sell it, make your money that way, don't be a leach that tries to steal money from companies who are selling actual products.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/09/technology/companies/09apple.html