I.B.M. Sues Amazon.com Over Patents - New York Times

Hmmm... 

Recently, I.B.M. has been a strong supporter of patent reform, intended to make it more difficult to get junk patents, which tend to make sweeping and vague claims but do not represent real technical innovation. And I.B.M. has been critical of some business-method patents as being broad descriptions of ideas, without technical specifics.

The business-method patents in the lawsuits against Amazon reflected fundamental technical advances, Mr. Kelly, the I.B.M. senior vice president, asserted, adding that I.B.M. researchers began working on them in the 1980’s when the potential for online commerce was just becoming apparent.

Source: I.B.M. Sues Amazon.com Over Patents - New York Times