they are an indirect measure of technological development.
I don’t even believe this is true. There is plenty of literature out there about how # of patents =/= innovation (or even tangentially relate to it).
We shouldn’t be using “patents” to measure “innovation.” That’s what the dumb ass capitalist patent freaks do. “Oh you think intellectual property is BS, what about all the bajillion patents filed last year??? SEE ALL THAT INNOVATION!!!”
God I can’t stand the fucking “DC’ite” culture…