OMFG! Monster has managed on 1998-11-03 to be assigned a patent that serves as an excellent example for trivial patents (it had been filed on 1995-08-10). Stuff like that shouldn't be patentable at all.
Der elektrische Reporter im Gespräch mit dem Bundesvorsitzenden der Piratenpartei ...
Wired has a report (2006-08-08) on what can happen when a city becomes dependent on a piece of technology from a single vendor ... caveat emptor.