Do our sources address the question of intellectual property vs the public good?

Question

The NYTimes recently ran a piece about a malnourishment treatment that could save lives in Africa, but one company owns the recipe and controls it tightly. (See the article, I apologize if I'm not getting it exactly right.) There's similar discussion about the inventors of birth-delivery forceps keeping their invention secret for many years; they made a lot of money, but who knows how many babies died because the forceps wasn't more popular?

While we want to encourage innovation (and reward it accordingly), how do we balance that with the greater good?

Can anyone point me to sources of ours (Bible, Talmud, Medrish, responsa) on the topic?

Answer 1

According to the intro to the Shulchan Aruch Harav by his learned sons, it says sefarim (jewish books) are private property and one can prohibit their publishing as long as one wants. This could also be such an issue, sefarim contain words of Torah, which is useful for the public, yet can be prohibited.

Answer 2

If I could provide goods to someone with no loss to my own bottom line, I have the strict technical right to not do so, "but we force such a person because of the traits of Sodom." (Zeh neheneh vezeh lo chaser, kofin oso al midas sodom.)

Maybe bar metzra? I have the right to sell my property to whomever I want, but if my neighbor has an adjoining property and wants to buy, it would be "the good and just in the eyes of G-d" to give him first offer.