Why Have Patents

Before delving further into the who, what, where, and when of U.S. patent law, as we will begin shortly, a more basic question worth considering is Why have patents in the first place Aren t they monopolies Aren t monopolies bad These are reasonable questions to ask and reflect the natural tension that has co-existed with patents ever since the Middle Ages when it appears that something akin to patents first hit the scene.15 

15See the Wikipedia entry Patent for a short history of patents. 

FIGURE 1.6 Patent policy as a balance of competing interests. 

17 Given the important implications of patent policy in view of die balance of interests just discussed, it 

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