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If you (the collective "you", not you specifically) did not subvert their property rights through piracy, they would not feel the need to subvert yours through

If you (the collective "you", not you specifically) did not subvert their property rights through piracy, they would not feel the need to subvert yours through DRM. It's a mistake to think that content creators are in the business of selling bits and bytes, and then complain about not being allowed to trade those bits and bytes as you would physical property. The reality is right there in the name: it's called "intellectual" property. What you think you paid for, the disc or the bandwidth or the bits, is simply the medium used to deliver that which what you really paid for.

npsimons 13y ago
"Intellectual property" is weasel words made up by those who most benefit from it. There is no such thing. There are exclusive rights, given by We the People, and not for any other reason than to advance science and the useful arts. Anything else is selfish egotistical aggrandizing.
- dragonwriter 13y ago
  > "Intellectual property" is weasel words made up by those who most benefit from it. There is no such thing. Yes, there is. > There are exclusive rights, given by We the People, , and not for any other reason than to advance science and the useful arts. No, they're given by Congress. The power to give those rights is given to Congress by the people via the Constitution, but Congress is the one giving the exclusive rights. And that limitation applies to the subset of intellectual property which is dependent on the copyright clause in the US, which isn't all of intellectual property. But, in any case, even where that applies, it illustrates the existence of intellectual property, since an exclusive right with regard to something protected in law is what property is. Real property is an exclusive right protected in law with respect to land. Tangible personal property is an exclusive right protected in law with respect to some tangible object not permanently affixed to the land. Intangible personal property (of which intellectual property is a subset) is an exclusive right protected in law that is not attached to land or to some tangible object.
- throwawaykf02 13y ago
  So you mean if you make use of other's "intellectual property", you derive no benefit from it? If not, why do you make use of it? Maybe there's a reason we as a society have accepted the concept of Intellectual Property Also: if you don't make use of it, why do you care what they do to protect it? Firefox and Chrome are open source, and as the refrain goes, you can always remove any DRM bits you don't like and use that.
- philwelch 13y ago
  All property rights are exclusive rights granted by law for the public good.

npsimons 13y ago

"Intellectual property" is weasel words made up by those who most benefit from it. There is no such thing. There are exclusive rights, given by We the People, and not for any other reason than to advance science and the useful arts. Anything else is selfish egotistical aggrandizing.

dragonwriter 13y ago
> "Intellectual property" is weasel words made up by those who most benefit from it. There is no such thing. Yes, there is. > There are exclusive rights, given by We the People, , and not for any other reason than to advance science and the useful arts. No, they're given by Congress. The power to give those rights is given to Congress by the people via the Constitution, but Congress is the one giving the exclusive rights. And that limitation applies to the subset of intellectual property which is dependent on the copyright clause in the US, which isn't all of intellectual property. But, in any case, even where that applies, it illustrates the existence of intellectual property, since an exclusive right with regard to something protected in law is what property is. Real property is an exclusive right protected in law with respect to land. Tangible personal property is an exclusive right protected in law with respect to some tangible object not permanently affixed to the land. Intangible personal property (of which intellectual property is a subset) is an exclusive right protected in law that is not attached to land or to some tangible object.
throwawaykf02 13y ago
So you mean if you make use of other's "intellectual property", you derive no benefit from it? If not, why do you make use of it? Maybe there's a reason we as a society have accepted the concept of Intellectual Property Also: if you don't make use of it, why do you care what they do to protect it? Firefox and Chrome are open source, and as the refrain goes, you can always remove any DRM bits you don't like and use that.
philwelch 13y ago
All property rights are exclusive rights granted by law for the public good.