[Linux-aus] Good patents?

[Josh Stewart]

With all the talk of software patents lately I thought it was a
perfect time to make my first posting on this list. I've just finished
a Bachelor of IT and an honours year and I'm thinking of moving into a
job as an IT patent attorney. The problem is that I'm worried if I did
then instead of being one of the good guys I'd end up doing a firms
work with whichever big software company came along next.

I think/hope that once I'd got all the qualifications then i could
really do some good in the free software world. Does anyone have any
experience with FOSS friendly firms? I know places like IBM have
opened up a lot of patents to the community, there must be something
out there?

Josh