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Ok, I know most people would not consider a 37-page legal opinion “fascinating”. But as a computer science major and armchair software patent quarterback (not to mention long-time TiVo fan), that’s exactly how I’d describe today’s written decision by the US Court of Appeals in which they ruled that EchoStar (Dish Network) infringes on TiVo’s “time-warp” patent. I mean, how can you not appreciate passages like this one, which delves into one of life’s great mysteries: is the word “an” singular or plural? As a general rule, the words “a” or “an” in a patent claim carry the meaning of “one or more.” That is particularly true when those words are used in combination with the open-ended antecedent “comprising.” However,…