Re: When is an MP3 file like a lighthouse?

From: Alex F. Bokov (alexboko@umich.edu)
Date: Fri Oct 26 2001 - 16:11:17 MDT


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On Fri, 26 Oct 2001 hal@finney.org wrote:

> In the case of intellectual property, then, the question is whether there
> is recognition of a property right in that which is offered for sale.
> When someone takes your property, that is theft. But ownership of
> intellectual property differs from that of regular property, which is why
> additional statutes were needed to cover it. Copying your data doesn't
> match the common understanding of theft because there is no recognition of
> a conventional property right as there is with ordinary physical objects.

Intellectual property is a type of 'regular property' that happens to be
nonrival and nonexcludable, and that type of property is nothing new to
society. What's new is for property to suddenly transition from the rival
and excludable category into the nonrival and nonexcludable category. That's
where all the confusion and disruption is coming from.

- --
* I believe that the majority of the world's Muslims are good, *
* honorable people. If you are a Muslim and want to reassure me and *
* others that you are part of this good, honorable majority, all *
* you need to say are nine simple words: "I OPPOSE the Wahhabi cult *
* and its Jihad." *

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