Business methods and legal theories are exempt from patents, but OTOH, so was software once upon a time.

Business method patents are certainly a thing.

If so, that could be the starting point for the ... most interesting lawsuit ever.

I just sort of noticed the headline somewhere, haven't really looked in to it. This NPR article has more detail:

https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2012/08/01/157743897/can-...

In a defensive capability, it gets even better:

    Patent Troll: Hi, I am a Patent Troll, 
                  and I want to sue your ... company.
    Halliburton:  Look, Dame or Dude, you have three choices: 
                  1. We have a patent on that. 
                     You cannot sue us without a license. 
                     Good bye!
                  2. We have a patent on that. 
                     You cannot sue us without a license.
                     Licenses are $ 42 trillion.
                     *Per Lawyer*.
                     See you in court. Or not.
                  3. We buy your company, because we rule!
    Patent Troll: *Head explodes*
    
    -- The End --

A decent writer could make a sitcom out of this in no time. I already have a picture in my head -- it is like Night Court meets Psych! I wanna watch this on Netflix!!!