> In the 1800's the US was considered developed in comparison to other countries.
Not compared to Europe. There might have been some American inventions, but those paled in comparison to inventions from Europe. It wasn't until the late 1800s that things started to change.
> You can't compare developed vs developing using 2000s definitions and at the same time using 1800s definitions for IP laws.
> You have to be consistent, pick one era and compare everything using the same definitions.
For any sort of historical analysis, scientific levels of rigidity are impractical, because there isn't a large enough data set, so your point is moot.
Not compared to Europe. There might have been some American inventions, but those paled in comparison to inventions from Europe. It wasn't until the late 1800s that things started to change.
> You can't compare developed vs developing using 2000s definitions and at the same time using 1800s definitions for IP laws.
> You have to be consistent, pick one era and compare everything using the same definitions.
For any sort of historical analysis, scientific levels of rigidity are impractical, because there isn't a large enough data set, so your point is moot.