Excellent point, indicating a clear detriment.

I'm actually fine with that. For almost all inventions knowing something is possible is enough to be able to figure out a way to replicate the basic idea, it is rare that the patent disclosure really shows something that was thought to be infeasible (they do exist though).

The problem lies in the fact that those few ideas tend to be so valuable that patents by themselves are actually useful, it is in the aggregate and with the amount of abuse of the patent system that it becomes a net negative.

On the whole I believe that the world would be better off without patents but what with the developed world being less and less on the producing side of things copyright, patents and other 'intellectual property' concepts are becoming a mainstay of our economies, so expect them to be here to stay.

Yes. Patents are probably a detriment to the economy. But like so many other economic rents, the benefits are concentrated, while the costs are spread out.