FIRST's patents

[Jeff Rodriguez]

I wasn't in Atlanta, but I heard that FIRST was awarded a patent for 'a method of coopertition'. A little seaching on the patent site yielded this:
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-P...S=PN/7,507,169

I guess I don't really understand the need for the patent, but it seems like a cool thing.
The more I thought about it though, the more I started to question it. While the patent seems pretty specific to ranking scores in our competition, the idea of patenting it doesn't sit well with me.
If FIRST is really about changing the culture, wouldn't they want as many people as possible to emulate them? Doesn't the patent prevent people from doing that?
To me, this patent seems unnecessary. If another competition were to use this method and infringe on the patent, than they would be trying to promote the same fundamental that FIRST is. This seems like a very good thing that should be fostered, not guarded against.
I suppose that you could just not enforce that patent, but that would defeat the entire purpose of patenting it, wouldn't it?