Microsoft patents task lists?

Better not get too fancy with your grocery list, now that Microsoft has patented a glorified form of the to-do list.

U.S. Patent No. 6,748,582, granted and assigned Tuesday to Microsoft, covers use of a "task list" in a software development environment. [CNN]

I haven't looked at it yet -- too busy with Goombah. Hopefully, like last week's spam patent fears, the reality will not be nearly as bad as first appearances might seem to indicate.