For Americans, the utilitarian argument is made in the Constitution:

_"The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises [...] to promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries"_ [1]

[1] https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/

Doesn't say anything about "benefit society as a whole".