It seems mankind had been held back in a way. Much of the reason for this has been the roadblocks put into place to stop the flow of ideas. One of the primary problems is the US Patent system.
First of all, the whole idea of licensing an idea and getting granted a monopoly on that idea because you thought of it first is just offensive and specifically limits the growth of ideas . If you create a product, you can sell that product and make money. Other people should be able to do the same. There are plenty of ways to differentiate yourself in the market.
The problem with this system deals with implementation and the ability to extend or grow the technology. What if your implementation is terrible? I have seen plenty of terrible products that have a good tech at the core. If we had a system where anyone could extend a technology, innovation would skyrocket. Heck, we would issue in a new technological age for sure...
The other big problem is that the patent system has been weaponized. Possibly from the start. Any ideas that compete with existing business interests or threaten to change the status quo are quickly shut down. This is proven. There are plenty of examples out there.
If we are to grow and move forward we need a system that encourages the free spread of ideas. A good first step would be to abolish the US Patent system. Completely.