Interestingly (to me, at least), the foundation for IP law is different in the US versus the UK. In the US, they're not considered natural rights. The relevan

Interestingly (to me, at least), the foundation for IP law is different in the US versus the UK. In the US, they're not considered natural rights. The relevant clause of the Constitution is: "The Congress shall have Power To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries." In other words, intellectual property rights are artificial constructs that Congress is allowed to grant in order to promote progress. In the UK, however, the case law works differently, and IP law is more of an outgrowth of the theory of natural rights that a person naturally has a right to whatever it is that they've created, be it something physical or something intangible.