[bhassel]

Disliking patents doesn't mean I think ideas (and this idea in particular) are worthless -- the opposite, ideas like this are hugely valuable, and as you say, they can become even more valuable when they are shared and improved upon. As things stand today though, I agree with you that patents are a necessary evil in many cases for helping attract that initial investment.

If that really is the main role patents play, it seems like there ought to be a better way though. One that is more sustainable and less abhorrent than keeping a huge, increasingly unknowable set of mechanisms/solutions "you may not use" when solving problems. I am cautiously optimistic that something like widespread crowdfunding, along with with a better social safety (universal basic income?) that makes risk-taking easier, could possibly fill that role instead and make patents unnecessary. Then again, maybe I'm overly idealistic...