Oh okay, yep found it... I follow you now WhiteFish and Modz.
"Patents only show up on a company's balance sheet if the company bought the patent from someone else, or if it acquired a company which owned patents that made up part of the value. Under FAS 141, intangibles, including patents that are acquired in an acquisition, must have a “fair value analysis” that establishes their worth for financial reporting purposes."
"Generally speaking, research and development is expensed, not capitalized. It's easy to understand why Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) would operate on that basis."