If I was ambiguous, it was unintentional. I'm very pro-patent and moreover, I'm always surprised with opposition to them at the engineer level. I haven't met any entrepreneurs who were anti-patent.

I rather disagree that patents don't reward innovation; that is exactly what they do. As Lincoln said, The patent system added the fuel of interest to the fire of genius. Lincoln was among many many things, a patent attorney.

Any quotes newer than 19th century?

Damn. And I was gonna quote Twain:

  for I knew that a country without a patent office
  and good patent laws was just a crab,
  and couldn't travel any way but sideways or backways

> Any quotes newer than 19th century?

What you're doing is called Chronological Snobbery, acting as if an idea or concept has no value simply because of age.

> The patent system no longer rewards innovation. At best, it's a non-participant and at worst it quashes innovation.

> I'm not trying to agree or disagree with anything else you wrote, just clarifying what I think is a point you left ambiguous.

That's a ridiculous oversimplification.