> Why should patents be assignable or transferable anyway? Because the purpose of the patent system is to turn trade secrets into public assets. Bob the blacks

> Why should patents be assignable or transferable anyway? Because the purpose of the patent system is to turn trade secrets into public assets. Bob the blacksmith's new alloy is not much of a public asset if for the first twenty years all we get are the few thousand horseshoes that Bob can hammer out. You are advocating a Chairman Mao patent system, with patents only benefiting garage semiconductor fabs and artisinal jet engine factories. The transferability of patents allows them to immediately be deployed throughout society.