Yes, Virginia, there is a

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus — and the billionaire chief executives of enormous Internet commerce juggernauts do occasionally listen to the public. Jeff Bezos is calling for a reform of the patent system that would greatly shorten the life of software and business-method patents, to 3 to 5 years. This was prompted largely by the outcry over Amazon’s 1-Click and Associates Program patents. I think Bezos should be commended for paying such attention to the marketplace, and for spending some time in online discussions — and his proposal is sure to generate some much-needed debate on the topic.
Amazon.com: An Open Letter from Jeff Bezos
And here’s the rather long-winded response of Tim O’Reilly, who kinda got the ball rolling by needling Bezos and engaging him in conversation:
Amazon’s Patent Reform Proposal