> If the patent office can't usefully determine novelty (needing to defer to the courts) then why have a patent office at all? What would be the effect of clos

> If the patent office can't usefully determine novelty (needing to defer to the courts) then why have a patent office at all? What would be the effect of closing shop and saying no new patents in the United States? I think this would be the best outcome. I mean do patent applications actually help people recreate the invention after the patent expires? If not, why should patents exist at all?