What historical studies show is that freeloading works. Economies or companies who are capable and willing to violate IP protections can catch up to more established economies or companies by copying their innovations. It helped the U.S. catch and pass the European powers, and it is helping China catch the U.S. today.

But once you max out the return from copying existing innovations, the only way to keep growing is to generate your own innovation. Then you want to protect those innovations. So the U.S., now one of the most innovative economies in the world, has strong IP laws and fights to protect them.

It's true: killing patents would most likely cause an immediate economic burst in the U.S. It would basically be a reduction in cost for many companies, who would realize a benefit in increased profits.

But over time, without patents, there would be reduced incentive to invest in capital-intensive innovations. That is why, despite the studies you cite, every major developed nation has strong protections for IP today. It is why major innovations like broadband, pharmaceuticals, electronics, software, etc. come out of nations with strong IP protections, not nations with weak IP protections