On Thu, 11 Jun 2009 17:11:16 -0400, you wrote:

>A second reason cost of development has little relationship to value. Many
>unique eureka moments opening up whole new technology and approaches
>are worth a lot and they too should be rewarded.

But they are not worth a lot and that's the point. 

If you can keep it a trade secret they are worth something and that has
always been an option. 

Something which is easily learnt by examining an application of it is worth
nothing, it is given an artificial value by the patent system. The value
given by the patent system should be sufficient to promote the search for
and disclosure of knowledge. There is no justification for this value to be
related to the money that could be made commercially exploiting that
knowledge. 

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