Yeah, MS is totally for software patents. It's what allows them to crush the competition so they don't have to compete. MS hates competition, and if software patents are what does the trick to achieve that, then so be it. Personally, I can't wait until someone actually finds a way to get software patents thrown out. I really feel they're stupid, counter productive, and anti-innovation, and anti-competition. Patents are great for technology that advances slowly, like large scale industrial machines and such. But in the fast paced tech world, by the time you patent it, the technology is already two generations obsolete. So why bother, short of using it as an offensive weapon to stop others from bypassing you? (or extorting them for grievous amounts of cash to stop them from competing against you)