I was replying to: > Some type of property, that can be stolen and thus deprive you of something. > Further, the subjects of intellectual property are not gen

I was replying to: > Some type of property, that can be stolen and thus deprive you of something. > Further, the subjects of intellectual property are not generally ideas: e.g., copyright protects particular expressions (not the ideas expressed) while patent protects particular applications (not the ideas applied). I disagree. If someone write a novel and someone else write the same sort of novel, with the same kind of plot and characters, they are not stealing the expression (which would be the way that person write) but the idea. Plagiary is a well established offense AFAIK.