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Since no one is excluded from creating a copyright or patent, I don't think it is accurate to call it a "special privilege..." Having intellectual property rig
by mbyrne 16y ago
Since no one is excluded from creating a copyright or patent, I don't think it is accurate to call it a "special privilege..." Having intellectual property rights and how they are enforced (or not) are two different things, and the fact that there are IP rights is the only thing that stops large companies from stripping away the value created by individuals at will, reducing us all to share croppers at best. I think of all the song royalties that were ripped off from the originators of the Blues and the only saving grace was when the copyright laws were enforced to enable them to get some money to survive in old age...
- kiba 16y agoIf you were ever familiar with the history of IP, then of course you would know that it is a special privilege. You have James Watt extending his patent 20 years longer, delaying the industrial revolution quite bit. Then you have American writers fighting for copyright recognition of British author just so they stop British competition. The manipulation and abuse of law not only took place in modern time but throughout the existence of IP history. Not only that, you have scant evidence to prove that IP are beneficial.