Well, Don, to be picky, it is not "something like a patent", but a patent, as such, and a patent can only be gained (in the UK system, the US in this as many other aspects of intellectual property is something of a maverick) for an invention, not a discovery. But otherwise, I again agree.

We will prise you away from conservative dogma yet: you seem to see quite a number of the socialist truths.

Just don't get me started on plant variety rights!