If there is any issue, I don&#x27;t think that is it.<p>The issue that might arise is that techniques that are invented might never be openly published (since there wouldn&#x27;t be protection for it).<p>For stuff that is obvious, it wouldn&#x27;t matter because it is obvious.  The non-obvious stuff--the stuff that actually does deserve a patent--might be lost on occasion.<p>I&#x27;m not a big fan of patents in general though given my experience with them (and certainly not patents on genes, etc).