I found this article on kottke.org.
It is an article by Richard Stallman that explains the harm that software patents can do by explaining what would happen if the same concepts were applied to literary works, such as plays, movies, or books. This winds up being an extremely simple and effective way of explaining how harmful software patents can be.
A really interesting read, and definitely makes you think — especially in light of the latest patent that Amazon was granted.
Bieber Labs 