USPTO to hold two roundtable discussions (Silicon Valley and NYC) regarding the current software patent system. Tacit acknowledgement that there's a problem with the system?... Imagine that.

This is a GOOD thing.

http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20130104012214868

Partial swipe on one of the focuses of the discussions:

Software-related patents pose unique challenges from both an examination and an enforcement perspective. One of the most significant issues with software inventions is identifying the scope of coverage of the patent claims, which define the boundaries of the patent property right. Software by its nature is operation-based and is typically embodied in the form of rules, operations, algorithms or the like. Unlike hardware inventions, the elements of software are often defined using functional language. While it is permissible to use functional language in patent claims, the boundaries of the functional claim element must be discernible. Without clear boundaries, patent examiners cannot effectively ensure that the claims define over the prior art, and the public is not adequately notified of the scope of the patent rights.