This supposes that figuring out how something is done is a bottleneck today. It isn't. It also supposes that figuring out how stuff is done is a bigger hurdle

This supposes that figuring out how something is done is a bottleneck today. It isn't. It also supposes that figuring out how stuff is done is a bigger hurdle than the problems patents present to innovators. It isn't. For patents to make sense we also have to ignore how they are used. Patents are used as mine fields around incumbents to keep challengers out. They are also used by parasitic companies who don't actually make anything as a legal form of extortion. Yes, it is indeed naive to ignore reality and buy into the fantasy that patents contribute to society or in any way level the playing field. They do neither.