The patent clause is a pretty vague and open ended statement, and is clear that (a) it's giving Congress the ability to regulate something (b) to promote the co

The patent clause is a pretty vague and open ended statement, and is clear that (a) it's giving Congress the ability to regulate something (b) to promote the common interest. Common standards are useful, so Congress has chosen to create patent regulation that prohibits refusing to license certain essential patents to your competitors.