A hospital should not be entitled to patent the research breakthroughs of its resident physicians. Hospitals, as sources of medical advancement, should encourage the free flow of ideas and the general dissemination of medical knowledge. Yet a hospital that retains the right to patent the breakthroughs of its resident physicians has a motive to suppress information about the discovery of a potentially valuable medicine until the patent for it has been secured. Clearly, suppressing information concerning such discoveries is incompatible with the hospital' s obligation to promote the general dissemination of medical knowledge. Which one of the following is an assumption that the argument makes?
A: If the discoveries of a resident physician are not patented by that hospital, then they will be patented by the physician instead.
B: Hospitals are the only institutions that have an obligation to serve as a source of medical advancement.
C: Most breakthroughs by resident physicians would be profitable if patented.
D: Hospitals that have a motive to suppress information concerning research breakthroughs by their resident physicians will occasionally act on that motive.
Choose A, B, C or D as your solution.
D