Yeah, that's what I meant, I was just being imprecise. Another form of it is that it appeals to one's sense of fairness, as well as a government's sense of duty

Yeah, that's what I meant, I was just being imprecise. Another form of it is that it appeals to one's sense of fairness, as well as a government's sense of duty to promoting a healthy economy, that a company that invests a huge amount of money on an uncertain bet shouldn't be allowed to be undercut easily. What I was saying is that the initial formulation and vetting of the chemical is the hard part, so that's the part that should be protected, not the relatively trivial manufacturing component.