Patents: Sun files for patents on per-employee software pricing plans (/.). ‘Method for licensing software to an entity, including determining a per-employee cost for the software, determining a number of employees of the entity, and determining a total licensing cost using the number of employees and the per-employee cost, wherein the total licensing cost comprises a software license for all employees of the entity and all customers of the entity.’
But, in my opinion, here’s the good news — this is a patent on a license agreement. In other words, this is a new front for patents — the field of law.
Once the lawyers start running into situations where trivial concepts in their license agreements are patented, you can be sure the situation will start to turn around. ;)