Very first sentence contains an inaccuracy. The notion of “leap forward” is NOT the only reason for the patent system. Leastwise, not directly. This comes from two different angles. The first is innovation itself, as anyone familiar with innovation theory can attest, some types of innovation (and mostly the ground-breaking kind) actually result in a short term retrograde movement. The second is in the nature of the patent system itself, and the multiple meanings of the word “promote.” One meaning (of course) is the advancement meaning. Such is not the only meaning of that word in the patent context. Another meaning of the word in the patent context aligns more with the sense of advertising: promotion. Those that have delved into innovation theory can also recognize why this is so: innovation will often come from not just the shoulders of giants before, but also from the toes of cross-fertilization. Promotion of any alternative modes in one art may very well provide the “A Ha” in other seemingly unrelated arts. There was a British television show called “Connections” that ably demonstrated this concept (James Burke: 1978). The use of the phrase “true innovation” must capture these notions.
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