> You could patent an idea. That's always been true. In fact, "an idea" is the only thing that you can patent. Why do you think that it shouldn't be true? S

> You could patent an idea. That's always been true. In fact, "an idea" is the only thing that you can patent. Why do you think that it shouldn't be true? Suppose that my company makes airplanes and I invent a new kind of bearing. What kind of patent protection do you think that I should have? (Should I only be able to claim uses of that bearing in the planes that we make?)