has more than 12,000 signatures, which puts it among the top 10 petitions on the White House website.

The leading petition, at the moment, concerns legalizing marijuana, with more than 41,000 signatures.

The White House has set up a relatively simple process for people to create or sign a petition. It asks for a name and email address, and then verifies the email.

The White House is promising a response for any petition that meets a 5,000-signature threshold within 30 days. It has not yet responded to any petition.

The software patent petition argues that patents have become a way " and prevent competition rather than to support innovation and competitive markets. They've become an antitrust tool employed by large companies against small ones."