Come on, PLEASE. It appears another company has patented a concept, instead of a product. I think I'm going to patent 'scratching ones own body,' and make you all pay royalties everytime you have an itch.

I don't know who's more at fault, companies making these outragious lawsuits, the courts, or the patent office for letting this crap through.

@ Bombastic

I think the answer is America in general is at fault. People in all those fields come from American homes, American churches, American schools, American universities, and American businesses.

This kind of BS is what Americans have to offer.

We, Microsoft, the board of directors of the "Frivolous lawsuits from idiot Americans and the EU" welcome Google to our realms with open arms. We hope you enjoy your inevitable stay here.

Next we look forward to bringing Apple into our group.

Um Bob F, it's greedy people that make this possible. And from what I can see it's not just americans but greed is all over...Europe, Asia, South Africa, don't be so niave.

Is this the next RAMBUS?

so lets have a bunch of people, that dont understand a single thing about patients, approve and deny companies of things they have no control over. the patient lawsuits are completely redic.

my ancestor invented letters, your all screwed.

An automated database which is network accessible... this was patented? I think any website out there which uses a database and allows network access to the database is liable to be sued under this patent, including Tom's Hardware.

When a company's primary method of turning a profit is suing the rest of the world into oblivion, you know the system is broken.

If you patent an idea, then you should have to follow up on it and build/do something with it, if you don't show initiative to do something with your patent, then it should be nullified. Too many companies these days are just sitting on concepts they'll never actually bring to the light of day, but will happily sue someone else who tries.