 funchordsHelloPremium,MVM
join:2001-03-11
Yarmouth Port, MA
kudos:5
4 edits | reply to fAcEtIOUs
Re: replying said by fAcEtIOUs:But KarlMarx's communist philosophy is that "the people" own everything and individuals own nothing. Right, and this is basically true of "Intellectual Property." It is not like physical property that one can possess and sell. "Intellectual Property" consists of unique ideas and expressions that defy containment.
Physical property has a natural friction. If I sell you mine, I have one less, so we're apt to find a price that will cause the exchange. "Intellectual Property" has no such friction. You have no incentive to buy since inspecting the goods for sale essentially takes its value.
In a capitalist society, those of us who sing, think, and paint would likely starve because anyone could sing someone else's song, copy someone's idea, or fake someone's painting. Only the exceptional would survive.
In Communism, those of us who toil, hunt, and gather share with those who sing, think, and paint.
Copyright is a special recognition that "intellectual property" is different than physical property, and won't make money in a free market that depends on competition. We free-marketers have embraced Communism in this special case.
Congress creates exclusive (no-competition) rights in order to temporarily create a rewarding market (as long as people are willing to obey this law). Through decree, we give qualities that thoughts and expressions do not normally have but that physical property has naturally.
I'm not sure it's working as it should -- there sure are a lot of immensely talented people making no money and large amounts of money seem to be going to very few in the (sometimes questionably so-called) talent pool.
The terms are ridiculously long, that much I'm convinced about. I think the lyrics to "Happy Birthday" are finally getting close to expiring copyright.
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Robb Topolski -= funchords.com =- Hillsboro, Oregon
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