>if you look at it from their perspective, they came up with the idea, went to the trouble of formally describing it and filing paperwork so that it could be released to the public
they went for all this trouble only for such a noble cause?
>they went to the trouble of conceptualizing, prototyping, and writing down their idea for an invention so someone else could build it.
no, obviously they went to the trouble for the licensing fees. but they did, as a side effect to the licensing fees, agree to make their invention freely-practicable -- as opposed to the default, where it would be protected by trade secret laws in perpetuity -- after their monopoly period ended.
they went for all this trouble only for such a noble cause?
>they went to the trouble of conceptualizing, prototyping, and writing down their idea for an invention so someone else could build it.
you just made my day.