1.	If you know Stephen King, could you forward him this email? I'd like to get a message to him.
2.	First a little background. Today there was an Associated Press story about King's latest book, The Plant. It's being published a chapter at a time on the Web, pay as you go, $1 per installation, on the honor system. He's taking a chance on the first two installments, if there isn't enough money from those, there won't be a third or fourth.
3.	http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20000724/tc/stephen_king_internet_3.html
4.	After reading the AP story, and linking to it on my news site, www.scripting.com, I commented "It almost goes without saying that I like this a lot. It's a route-around of the first order. Nuke the middlemen, like this one.."
5.	Then I pointed to a Wired interview with Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. It's no secret, I think Bezos and others are getting away with the rape of the Internet through patents. Other developers, creative people not that different from King, feel the same way.
6.	Asked why he sues competitors Bezos says "Patents are not intended for defensive purposes only. The intent of the system is to give innovators a window to recoup their research and development costs, 20 years from the date of filing or 17 years from the date of issue, whichever is longer."
7.	Then I went back to the King site, to buy the first two installments, and holy guacamole, he wants me to give the money to Amazon! You can check it out for yourself.
8.	http://www.stephenking.com/download.html