1st Correction started 01/20/22, page-81

It certainly is not free to file for a patent in the US. See for yourself here at the table of patent fees from the US government's own patent office.

One also cannot overlook the fact that patents will certainly hinder the progress of competitors who are not able to innovate their way around them.

I applaud your attempt to downplay the importance of a company securing patents to protect their intellectual property, but I think it makes the stock less of a risk if they can maintain a brisk pace forward while slowing down their competition.