Neat project.<p>Interestingly enough, I often use the core memory patent as an example of a true invention worthy of being issued a patent. If there's an invention that was, at the time, new, useful and non-obvious this was it.<p>Here's that patent: <a href="http://www.google.com/patents/US2667542" rel="nofollow">http://www.google.com/patents/US2667542</a><p>One of my favorite examples of the opposite, that is, obtaining a patent for something that is not an invention is this MIT patent: <a href="http://www.google.com/patents/US5650704" rel="nofollow">http://www.google.com/patents/US5650704</a><p>Yes, they patented a motor connected to a spring with a force sensor to control, well, force. You know the old F = kx spring formula. Not to beat MIT to death --they do a lot of great stuff that I'll never understand-- but filing for a patent on a motor with a spring? The real joke is that the patent office granted it.<p>Don't get me started on software patents. OT for this thread anyway.