Are patents on the whole a good thing because they reward creativity, or a bad thing because they increase the costs of medical research? What might be done to rehabilitate GM technology in the eyes...

Are patents on the whole a good thing because they reward creativity, or a bad thing because they increase the costs of medical research? What might be done to rehabilitate GM technology in the eyes of the public? What role might scientists play in this? Would society be able to cope with increasing human lifespan to 1,000?