In response to SOPA, PIPA and some discussions I've had recently about the problems of online piracy/copyright infringement, and what it means to actually "steal" someone's "intellectual property," I thought it would be handy to link to a number of articles and resources which I've found largely effective in explaining the intricacies of the situation better than I could. Of course, they're from a point of view generally favourable to my own, but what else can you expect? I never claimed to be unbiased.
First is a mises.org article that approaches the problem from the stand point of an economics/price issue.
Second, is another Mises.org gem, in this case a wiki article that looks at what a world without intellectual property would look like. Doesn't sound so bad, does it? In particular, pay attention to the literature and music sections in the article, as I think that is where some of the most astounding examples can be found in favour of a deregulated market of so called "intellectual property."
Third is an article by Jeffry A. Tucker that looks at the supposed benefits of copyright and other intellectual property laws and shows the danger of falling into the common way of thinking.
And fourth, if you're really interested in tackling this subject head on, here is a modern classic (book), by N. Stephan Kinsella, available FOR FREE in PDF form at mises. Fitting with its free availability, it is entitled "Against Intellectual Property," and is a good, quick, and incisive read.
Fifth, I give you a brief history of the notion of Intellectual Property (I promise you, it is likely not what you thought), over at GNU.org, by Richard M. Stallman. It's very short, and also a very easy read, but is very to the point.
And as a bonus, if you want a really detailed explanation of intellectual property, and why it needs to be rethought, here is a video lecture by Stephan Kinsella.
I hope these have been helpful in some way. If you already agreed with a No-IP point of view, perhaps these articles and videos have been affirming, and if you're not convinced yet, hopefully you have found these at least mind-opening--showing that the issue is at the very least more complex than it is made out to be by those who stand to gain from this being seen as a clear cut problem.
Hey "Fenton" --- hows it going?
ReplyDeleteNice post. As an anti-IP person myself, I know I've gone over a thought experiment with people of what would happen if IP were to disappear entirely and instantly in today's world. A quick version version:
1. Since every intellectual work ever made would be available to everyone, everybody would become the equivalent of a multi-billionaire based on current prices of IP. Much of what we pay for these days is IP, and the cost of copying IP is near-zero, so only IP laws is what keeps us from all being filthy rich in that regard.
2. The purpose of IP is to provide incentive to innovate. The only issue, then, is whether or not more innovation and media would be created. Clearly in the case of software that's a no-brainer: in today's world, FLOSS software has already created non-propertarian versions of virtually all software we use, typically much better, and always more efficiently. So, with the liberation of all software, tech innovation would only exponentially. So what about music and movies? I don't think there are many musicians who go into it "for the money", and those who do are probably not very good musicians, and so musicians will be as starving as ever (or less, simply because media companies and their anti-competitive practices would crumble). The same goes for movies.
--michael b