[Draco6slayer]

You can't patent atoms, but you can patent compounds made of those atoms, like a new plastic. Or, if those compounds are already open, you can patent products that combine those compounds into a new shape, like a new blender. You can't patent the human voice or melodies, but you can patent a song. You can't declare that because someone's. product uses raw materials that are patent-free, that their final product isn't really an invention. Every thing is built on some other platform, so that would remove patents entirely.

[skizm]

Why haven't people patented methods for cooking food and sued other restaurants for suspected patent infringement? Patenting solutions to common problems (programming or otherwise) seems crazy to me.

[Ilmesnkie_Jones]

A song isn't an invention so you would have to copyright it not patent it.

[Draco6slayer]

Yes, quite. Sorry. Point being though, you can own an intellectual property even if you can't own the parts and tools that go into it.