Apparently, a company has patented cross-communication between applets of an application utilizing a shared data store with both relational and objective data.

What that means is that someone patented the concept of including those Apps in Facebook and Twitter and any other application which uses plug-ins (including FireFox and Visual Studio) and a data store and a global network.

What is sad is that they've convinced a judge that there is reason to force Facebook to provide them the ability to review Facebook's source code.

Yes, a United States Federal judge has told a company that they must divulge trade, copyrighted secrets to a competitor in order for that competitor to successfully sue them.

All because Leader Technologies patented the concept of plug-in software.

I'm sickened by this, and see it as yet another reason why software patents need to disappear forever.

Of course if I was Facebook, I would facilitate the review of my source code by providing it in hard copy format.

After all, Facebook wouldn't want to step on anyone's toes by possibly using infringing software that features such niceties as the "Find" function or source code formatting.