CHAPTER DISCUSSION: Chapter Seven, The Ministry of Magic

[Matt]

No: HPFGUIDX 86822

> 5. The Ludicrous Patent Office is on Level Seven 
> of the Ministry.  What might constitute a "ludicrous" 
> patent?  Where is the not-so-ludicrous patent office?  
> Why is this office on the same level as the Department 
> of Magical Games and Sports, where it doesn't seem
> to fit in as the other offices listed on other levels 
> fit in with the Department named?

I don't know if this is the case in Britain, but on this
side of the Atlantic some of the more ludicrous patents
on file involve people purporting to claim ownership of
simple physical procedures, such as putting a golf ball 
(U.S. 5,616,089), executing a tennis stroke while wearing 
a knee pad (U.S. 5,993,336), and even swinging on a swing 
(U.S. 6,368,227).  There was also a publicized effort by
a consulting company a few years back to get prominent
sports stars to patent their moves.  It is conceivable 
that JKR had read about some of this stuff and was poking
fun at the idea.  

-- Matt