It's never been tried before, letting the public provide the USPTO examiners with a helping hand. The goal is to find ways to block stupid patents at the applications input level, so they don't get approved, issued, and subsequently hurt people and companies. I think of it as bug spray to kill off stupid patents before they can multiply.

MP3 is encumbered with patents which require listeners to buy licensed players or risk facing patent infringement lawsuits. Since WBUR is publicly funded, it seems silly for it to use resources to enrich a private enterprise. Listeners have already payed once to have the content made, so they shouldn't have to pay an extra MP3 tax.

"The MS/Novell deal specifically excludes patent protection for "clone products." In the agreement, a clone product is broadly defined as "a product (or major component thereof) of a Party that has the same or substantially the same features and functionality as a then-existing product (or major component thereof) of the other Party ...