If you have ever visited Britain, or just dropped by one of Tokyo's popular British pubs, you might have tasted fish and chips flavored with salt and maybe a dash of vinegar. This classic takeout has been a favorite of the British working class for as long as anyone can remember. It came as a bit of a shock, then, when last month a group called ActionAid applied for a patent on half of it -- the chips. If it wins a patent, ActionAid will be able to claim royalties from every fish-and-ship seller in that country.

You might wonder how they can do that. Haven't chips been around forever? How can someone patent something that already exists? Moreover, why would a well-known international charity be getting into the business of ripping off innocent, hardworking fast-food vendors?

Well, yes, there have always been chips, but not, arguably, "the ActionAid Chip" -- a chip with salt added. According to ActionAid, current international patent rules allow anyone to "invent" and claim a patent on a new product by modifying or adding to an existing one, even minimally. And the group is not trying to rip anyone off; if it is granted a patent, it has no intention of demanding payments.