>Ideally rights should be for as long as the life of the inventor.
I'm fairly pro patent, but I disagree. Unlike copyright where there is an almost unlimited amount of expression available, some inventions are just something people would independently come up with.
Nobody would organically and independently come up with Mickey Mouse or Sherlock Holmes.
But different teams would have invented the BJT transistor if Bardeen, et al. never existed.
Patents length acknowledges that by not giving exclusive rights forever. It's more of a challenge prize than a pure ownership of the idea indefinitely.
I'm fairly pro patent, but I disagree. Unlike copyright where there is an almost unlimited amount of expression available, some inventions are just something people would independently come up with.
Nobody would organically and independently come up with Mickey Mouse or Sherlock Holmes.
But different teams would have invented the BJT transistor if Bardeen, et al. never existed.
Patents length acknowledges that by not giving exclusive rights forever. It's more of a challenge prize than a pure ownership of the idea indefinitely.