How would you know that the patent system works better than nothing?
Maybe you have to consider that an idea is fundamentally flawed in the first place.
Without patents, you can't small or medium sized R&D companies that file patents would go extinct.
Not exactly true. SpaceX deliberately didn't patent their technologies, and yet they succeeded brilliantly. They are now the Goliath of the industry.
Comparative analysis between regiments and across the history. For crude overview, consider the US vs China. Also see SpaceX case below.
Also my original point: separating manufacturing and innovation. Small inventor rarely is the same as manufacturer. Without patent, inventor has nothing to sell. They can only give away.
>Maybe you have to consider that an idea is fundamentally flawed in the first place.
I am. I'm researching and learning the subject and I am hoping good counterarguments. So far people just come up with ad hoc arguments on the spot. Normative and ideological blanket statements are not very good.
>SpaceX deliberately didn't patent their technologies, and yet they succeeded brilliantly.
yes: trade secrets.
SpaceX is interesting case and their reasoning is interesting. SpaceX has started filing patents (Starlink Project), but not very aggressively in their core rocket technology. They choose to keep their core technology trade secret. Their reason for keeping trade secrets is very interesting: “We have essentially no patents in SpaceX. Our primary long-term competition is in China. If we published patents, it would be farcical, because the Chinese would just use them as a recipe book.” – Elon Musk
Not as much as you think. They would be squished completely without patent system. Because current patent system is not perfect you are advocating something worse.
A small and micro entities can file patents very cheaply. In the US fees are cut 60 to 75 percent.
Without patents, you can't small or medium sized R&D companies that file patents would go extinct.
(Btw. I strongly favor mandatory licensing for patents. Mandatory licensing might be immediate or after a year or something).
>For example, 3D printing was stymied by initial innovators.
Can you make argument that it would not be stymied the same way or worse without patents (trade secret).