Alternate Village
The scene for this dream is a fairly modern village set within an agricultural landscape and occupied by normal people. It is, however, not a normal village. It is a self contained village with enough agricultural land around it for its sustenance, but it does not occupy space in the main world.
This village touches the main world only at a point along a narrow rural unpaved road which passes through small trees and tall shrubs. If you know the right place, and know about the alternative village, and want to go there, the road will lead you there. If you don't know about the alternative village, the road will lead you on to a destination in the main world.
As the dream begins, I am in the village talking to some of the people there. I am not from the village, but am apparently a trusted consultant about matters outside in the main world.
One of the people has come up with an invention, the nature of which I do not know. He is wondering if he can get a patent for it. I tell him that as far as the village is concerned, it would just depend on whether the other villagers choose to recognize and respect the patent, which could be verbal, as the village is not under a jurisdiction that recognizes patents.
I told him that I am not a patent attorney so do not know all the fine points, but a patent in the main world would probably be possible. It would not be at all easy. At the least, the village would have to have a mail drop in the main world. Paperwork would need to be filed and received. A patent expert would probably be needed.
There was also the problem with payment for these things because the village is not within the main world's monetary system. Funding would have to be raised in the main world by some means, and all this might compromise the village's secrecy.
Fade.