Stephen Mihm writes an illuminating review of a book called The Industrial Revolutionaries; the Making of the Modern World by Gavin Weightman link here. He quotes the book, "Abraham Gesner, a country-doctor-turned-geologist in Nova Scotia was the first person to figure out how to transform the raw sludge of fossil remains into kerosene and other fuels. He effectively laid the foundation for the modern petroleum industry but steadfastly refused to take full credit for his discoveries, writing in 1861 that 'the progress of discovery in this case, as in others, has been slow and gradual. It has been carried on by the labors, not of one mind, but of many, so as to render it difficult to discover to whom the greatest credit is due.'"

Weightman's book seems to be a riff on that point, writing a history of industrial innovation around the world in the 19th Century. He fails, however, to draw the conclusion that we here would: that no single innovation stands alone or justifies patents which actually end up impeding innovation rather than their constitutionally mandated justification, promoting it.