Please tell me
this is a joke. IBM is filing to improve the way patents are files and royalties are collected. In what IBM is calling a better business method you could essentially interpret this as patenting patents. This is a page right out of the RIAA playbook, can't make a decent profit, then lets find a way to sue everyone else for their money.
Im going to patent frivilous lawsuits, red tape, and sex and buy the world with the resulting royalties. The only remaining question is which one will make me more money.