That ATi overlay patent seems pretty bogus. It seems likely related to videosoap to some degree...but applying for a patent in relation to still images? Maybe there is some implication of uniqueness I don't get, but it just seems to me it is an example of the "patent as much as you can approach" the current patent system encourages.
OTOH, reading through some of the references, I'm reminded that I am under the impression (which I haven't been able to verify, so I may be wrong) that ATi was one of the companies that took some IP from Commodore Amiga when it went *poof*, and the body of these patents is strongly reminiscent of some things the Amiga did. IOW, maybe it really is a unique application and it is just my taking such things for granted that makes it seem trivial.
