Real reason for Patents (Score 2)

Patents were first implemented to prevent tradesman and craftsmen from hiding their technology. Remember that from the 15th century to to the industrial revolution, trades like metalurgy kept the secrets of their trade, to prevent the common man from competing against the established brotherhood of trades. The Patent was an attempt from the government to force the technology out of the trades and into the common man's hands. A concession was made with each discovery, that the trade could own the monopoly on it for a number of years, which at the end of the term it would be become public domain. It worked very well, and was probably largely responsible for the industrial revolution. Today, with Capitalism running better and freer that ever, and the fact that no company can really keep a secret, the Patent is a legacy idea, that no longer serves us at this time, when transparency is at an all time high. The King is dead, long live the King.