Patents

From the Inforworld's Notes from the Field By Robert X. Cringely

Patent Medicines: Readers continue to share tales of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s generosity to fledgling inventors. Dubious patent holders include a unique method for using a child’s swing (side to side, instead of to and fro), an animal toy (otherwise known as a stick), and a toy missile powered by human gases (don’t ask). Also on the list: An automated device for kicking the user’s buttocks.