Okay, if we can't help it, let's have an expensive approval procedure. I'm willing to accept this cost is a necessary evil. That doesn't mean however that pat

Okay, if we can't help it, let's have an expensive approval procedure. I'm willing to accept this cost is a necessary evil. That doesn't mean however that patents are the only solution. There are other forms of government interventions. We could make a Manhattan project dedicated at lengthening healthy life expectancy, for instance (who wouldn't like to live a few more healthy decades?). Or we could grant more money to private parties making promising claims. Or we could grant prizes for achieving particular goals (like finding a cure or a vaccine for such and such disease). > Transparency is important. Just like openly documented patent claims. The document is a good thing. The monopoly that goes with it is another matter. Promising a monopoly over inventions speed inventors up, but granting one such monopoly slows everyone else down. Plus the costs induced by the patent approval system, and litigations. I doubt this is a good trade-off.