Yeah pretty much, that comment set the mood. I'm cool, I hope you are too.

It is interesting as a thought experiment if very basic human improvements could have been shut out from other people using them.

What if, for example, Plato was able to "copy right" his ideas. Or if any of the ideas from the Renaissance where prevented from being iterated on. Would we have the scientific method today?

Edit: Electricity? Pfft have fun with only one person owning the right to use it for 175 years. Next to no improvements for almost two centuries.