“Yes,” said Mart. “The Law of Gravity would be classified by the patent people as a Law of Nature.”
“And you suggest then, that if Sir Isaac Newton were alive today and published his discovery of the Law of Gravity that he should be allowed a patent on it?”
“Precisely,” said Mart. “That is exactly the thing I am suggesting.”
There was a general shifting among the audience, the scrape of feet on the floor. From the Committee table there were unrestrained snickers.
Chairman Cogswell did not restrain his own smile. “I fail to see, first of all,” he said, “what good it would have done the good Sir Isaac to have held such a patent. The Law of Gravity would continue to operate, I am sure, regardless of the patent. Are you suggesting that it would have had any effect on our lives to have the Law of Gravity patented?
“Perhaps Sir Isaac could have levied a toll upon each of us for the privilege of sticking to the surface of the Earth through the operation of his law? Or collected a royalty on each apple that falls?”
The senators chuckled in unison, turning to one another in appreciation of Cogswell’s fine wit. But Mart was looking over the faces of the technical members of the audience. He was pleased with their frowns of disgust.
“I do not make any such suggestions,” Mart said to Cogswell.
“Then will you please explain to the Committee what earthly value it would have been for Sir Isaac Newton to hold a patent on the Law of Gravity! And what good it would do you to be issued patents on what must be equally obvious Laws of Nature.”
“In your last statement lies the fallacy which is at the root of all our difficulty in understanding one another,” said Mart. “The action of gravity is obvious. The Law of Gravity is very far from obvious. The Laws which I have discovered are even less so. As a matter of fact, they are so unobvious that I will make the statement that, unless I agree to reveal them after being given proper patent protection, they will not be rediscovered for at least another hundred years.”