Patent madness In 1976, BT managed to patent hyperlinks. It stumbled upon this patent about a year ago, and now is trying to collect a toll every time something blue and underlined is clicked. This case illustrates how software patent law fails to generate innovation, while BT had they patent they did nothing to promote the Web. Instead, they're trying to use their IP to extort money from everyone else. I don't know if their appeal will be successful, but this case provides good ammunition for those discussing how patent law should be fixed.