I'm responding to you as an example of a certain line of thought that limits on copying are somehow infringing on your "right" to do as you wish with copyable c

I'm responding to you as an example of a certain line of thought that limits on copying are somehow infringing on your "right" to do as you wish with copyable content. Where does this right come from? People have some intuition about stealing physical things, but many areas of law involve intangible entities. In your example of suing an employee for releasing source code in violation of an agreement, you are using law to effect an outcome that is every bit as abstracted as copyright law. There is also an aspect of arbitrariness to most law that can be annoying but it serves a function.