> But if you have an idea or a word or a piece of code or design and I take it from you - you still have it. You aren't just taking the idea itself, you are al

> But if you have an idea or a word or a piece of code or design and I take it from you - you still have it. You aren't just taking the idea itself, you are also implicitly taking all the failed ideas and experiments that came before it, and that's where the bulk of the expenses usually lie. To make an example, if I invest x$ in developing an idea then I need to make x$ in sales to break even. But if you can copy it and tweak it for a fraction of the cost, then you can sell it for much less and still make a profit. So you benefitted from my x$ expenditure in R&D without paying a penny for it.