Laughing Man: Speaking of lawyer pay, since lawyers are only in it for the big bucks. (lawyers that actually want to help people out of the kindness of their heart don't exist!) If you limited lawyers to only earning a small wage, a large majority of lawsuits would vanish as lawyers jumped ship to another career. Of course, given that lawyers run this country, that'll never happen. It's one of the same reasons the patent system has been allowed to become the mess it is.

Another huge reason there hasn't been any change in the patent and copyright system, and likely never will be is because the government makes a FORTUNE on the patent and trademark (and copyright) system. Hence why they haven't bothered to try and fix the system. Seriously. Why shut down a system, broken or otherwise, that's making you a mint?