Since this is specific to software patents, my vote was to abolish them all. Patents on Software make not sense (other protections like Copyright, are essential, though). I have yet to see one "invention" that would not have seen the light of day without software patents.

Patents are a method to protect significant costs cost of an invention (to incentivize research). Having an idea for an algorithm is does not represent a great cost and it is not in the interest of society to grant a monopoly).